


In the Star

by Hajinnie



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, Alternate Universe - Space Opera, Developing Relationship, Eventual Romance, M/M, Mercenaries, Mpreg, Parenthood, Park Chanyeol-centric, Science Fiction, Superpowers, Third wheel Sehun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-10-04 07:21:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 58,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17300264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hajinnie/pseuds/Hajinnie
Summary: Chanyeol's race possesses the ability to control fire but ironically, their planet is freezing over due to a dying star. Chanyeol abandons his planet and eventually meets Kyungsoo, who is part of a warrior race where some can control celestial bodies including stars.Kyungsoo is also running away from his own planet where he is expected to give birth and repopulate. Kyungsoo can save Chanyeol's planet, but Kyungsoo doesn't really want anything to do with the powers that have doomed his race to near-extinction.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> *This fic is obviously set in space where interplanetary travel is like taking a plane to a different country. Think Star Wars-esque but in its own universe.  
> *Yes, you read that description right. It will have Mpreg themes because they're aliens who look like humans so I thought, why not?  
> *Sehun is a primary supporting character in this fic and he will be older than Kyungsoo. You'll find out.  
> *The rating is for a later chapter, although most of the fic will mostly be PG13-ish.
> 
> \--
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/hajinnie)  
> [CC](https://curiouscat.me/hajinnie)

 

As a Vuurian from the planet, Vuur, Chanyeol was used to the hot climate, scorching atmosphere, rivers of lava, natural caves and springs with healing properties that his home had to offer.

According to old tales, the Vuurians were said to be the oldest and first race to exist in the galaxy. It was believed that the star Isioh, which the planet Vuur orbited around, was the oldest star in the entire galaxy.

 

Like the planet which the Vuurians had come from, they were resistant to fire, able to thrive under extremely hot temperatures and even control this said fire themselves.  


The people of Vuur lived in several massive cities throughout the planet, in buildings made of strong black rocks only found on Vuur. The cities were built atop sturdy tall mountains, above the flowing lava river on the surface of the planet.

For millennia, Chanyeol’s planet and his people thrived. They were renowned throughout their galaxy for exporting rare rocks and minerals. The Vuurians were known as doctors and healers who could treat almost any ailment with the knowledge and resources they innovated from the natural healing springs the planet had to offer.

 

 

 

Then, one morning, Chanyeol woke up to find a commotion going on outside his house. From the window in his room, he could hear chatter from the people on the street, talking and murmuring to each other and they didn’t sound too excited about it either.

Chanyeol rushed out of the dome-shaped house where he lived with his mother, only to find her worriedly looking up at the sky with their neighbors.

Chanyeol too looked up to the sky and then realized what the commotion was going on about. It was snowing on Vuur.

 

 

It wasn’t a rapid change, it had slowly occurred over the course of centuries. Temperatures in Vuur had begun dropping over the years. Some parts of Vuur had even begun to rain more than once in a century.

Some rivers of lava had become cool enough to solidify and turn into rocks. Chanyeol’s city in the northern region was now too experiencing winter for the first time ever.

Although the winter didn’t last long, the government of Vuur was forced to admit that the star, Isioh, was indeed dying, weakening, as it burned through the lasts of its energy.

Vuur would gradually turn into a planet with a moderate climate and then finally freeze over before it was rendered uninhabitable for Vuurians.

 

Over the next decade, the Vuurians began mass migrating from their dying planet to other solar systems within the galaxy. The Northern Regions of Vuur where Chanyeol once lived was abandoned, as those who remained migrated down to the South of the planet, where it was hotter.

 

 

 

Chanyeol was an adolescent when it first began snowing in his city. Over the next ten years, as Chanyeol grew into an adult, he was forced to uproot his entire young life and move down South with his mother.

He was forced to say goodbye to his friends and family who chose to migrate and leave Vuur.

Chanyeol was forced to live on a planet with an expiration date, forced to live through several chaotic changes of government sparked by Isioh dying.

 

Chanyeol’s mother was a healer but he was trained to join the national Vuurian guard, or whatever was left of it by the time he was an adult.

Chanyeol was too forced to see his mother readjust to their life on a cooling planet, and continue to serve and care for the remaining Vuurians because she hadn’t given up on their home yet.

Chanyeol couldn’t see why she tried so hard when it would all be futile in the end.

 

 

Chanyeol didn’t quite like the idea of all that and thought that if he left Vuur, his mother would eventually give up and move elsewhere.

But Chanyeol was selfish and thinking of himself when he left Vuur one night, after a long hearty talk with his mother in their living room at the table also made of black rock. Chanyeol just wanted to be elsewhere that wasn’t dying. It was depressing to stay on Vuur. 

When Chanyeol told her he was leaving Vuur, she gave him a big warm hug. She wished him well, told him to be safe and reminded Chanyeol that he would always be welcome home if he were to ever return.

 

 

Chanyeol’s mother declined to leave Vuur with him, stating that her place would always be there, despite his efforts to make her come along.

Like the millions of Vuurians before him, Chanyeol left his home planet and took one long last look at their fading star in the distance from the viewing gallery aboard the one-way spaceship taking him away.

 

 

 

After leaving Vuur, Chanyeol arrived in Anam, a natural tidally locked moon orbiting a gas giant planet. Anam was famed as the galaxy’s main trading outpost where people from all corners came to obtain supplies, sell their goods, service their spaceships and even sell their services.

 

Chanyeol looked for jobs in Anam while surviving by selling whatever he had on him. Chanyeol’s skills were mainly in fighting and combat, aided by his ability to control fire.

So he sought out to find a job as a hired bodyguard or mercenary, but nobody around wanted to hire a Vuurian unless they were a geologist or a healer.

The sector of the galaxy was relatively peaceful and Chanyeol was even told by the shadiest person around on Anam, to go a different sector of the galaxy where some planets were still at war with each other.

 

 

After a few months on Anam, Chanyeol was unable to sell anything else for money unless he was to go naked. All he had were the clothes on his back. He didn’t have shoes anymore, no money for food or lodgings.

Chanyeol lived in the alleys behind repair shops on Anam, hungry and cold in the constant night on Anam. Chanyeol drank water from pipes and scoured food through the garbage.

There was a thought to return to Vuur, where he would have a relatively comfortable life, but Chanyeol was determined to not return there.

 

 

 

After two days of not being able to even find scraps to eat, Chanyeol decided he would just rob the next person walking down the alley.

Chanyeol spotted a tall man, wearing a tool vest on top of his clothing, walking down the alley while eating.

Chanyeol just wanted what the man was eating and meant him no harm. Confident with his fighting skills and abilities, Chanyeol rushed to tackle the said man and steal his food off of him.

 

Instead, Chanyeol found himself thrown to the floor, swung around like a rag doll and later smashed into a wall that cracked open into an empty shop.

It hurt a lot but Vuurians were sturdy and strong, so Chanyeol came out with a few cuts and bruises only.

That day, Chanyeol learned the mistake to never go against a Gauean.

 

The Gauean took pity on Chanyeol and offered him food and a place to rest for the night. The Gauean introduced himself as Sehun and Chanyeol almost dropped his spoon while he was eating the food bought for him.

Chanyeol recalled that the shady trader from earlier on had suggested Chanyeol find a  Gauean mercenary named Sehun, if Chanyeol were to look for a job that required fighting or combat involved in it.

 

Sehun noticed Chanyeol’s physical skills during their short skirmish and felt bad enough to ask Chanyeol to come on a job with him, promising to split their pay in half and then go their separate ways.

Chanyeol had heard a lot about Gaueans and wasn’t really interested in working with one. However, he was hungry and needed money and Sehun promised it would be a one-time thing.

 

 

 

If the Vuurians were one of the oldest races in the galaxy, the Gaueans were thought to be the youngest and had only come into existence not more than 100,000 years ago.

Gaueans were born and trained to fight and kill. Their race emphasized strength, power and some were said to be able to control moons, planets and even stars. Their society was led by the strong and the weak were killed off. Every Gauean was a skilled fighter and soldier.

 

At their peak, there were several billion Gaueans but today, there were only less than 50,000 of them as their population continued to decline even more, despite Gaueans having a lifespan of almost 1000 years.

The reason for the decline was simple; the Gaueans were killing each other and not liking each other enough to reproduce. They were too focused on trying to prove their strength and usurping each other to be the ruler, causing their own demise.

 

 

 

Sehun, a Gauean, had left his home planet of Kunryun after his parents killed each other in an argument, and his brother and sister had a go at each other too.

Sehun’s sister survived and then tried to kill him too, so she could become the head of the family.

Before Sehun left Kunryun, he had tried bringing Kyungsoo, his sister’s son away with him. Kyungsoo was young and Sehun believed that he could be raised in a better, non-violent environment and break free from the chaotic nature that was a Gauean.

Sehun failed to do so and had to leave without Kyungsoo.

 

With his abilities, Sehun found jobs as a mercenary where he was as strong as hundreds of men for the price of one. Sehun fought in wars, in battles and everything that he was paid for while maintaining a home base in Anam.

Sehun made his name known throughout the galaxy as one of the best-hired mercenaries if anyone could ignore the fact that he was a Gauean.

Sehun worked alone because no one wanted to pair with a Gauean until Chanyeol that is.

 

 

Chanyeol agreed to go on only one job with Sehun. But one turned to two, then to three, and eventually, Chanyeol was moving into the spare room in Sehun’s apartment on Anam.

Sehun liked working with Chanyeol, and Chanyeol slowly overcame his prejudice against Gaueans, although stereotypes were hard to overcome.

Sehun always told Chanyeol to be watchful of his relatives, who might come and want to finish him off for unsettled business.

 

 

 

 

Now, two years later, Chanyeol was lounging on the couch beside the open window in the apartment he shared with Sehun on Anam. Sehun had gone out to get some supplies after they had just returned from their last job yesterday.

It was a small cramped apartment with only two rooms. There was a couch to sit on and just one other table because every other space in the apartment except in the rooms was littered with maps, charts, tools, weapons and supplies that the mercenary pair needed.

There was a television showing local Anam news around the clock, despite the moon being in eternal night time and no real difference between morning or night news.

 

Chanyeol scratched his chin as he felt a breeze blow through the window, stale as it had passed through rows upon rows of cramped apartment buildings polluted by neon lights, as light passenger ships zipped through the skyline.

Chanyeol heard a knocking on the door and sighed, too lazy to get up as he yelled, “Open the door yourself! Don’t tell me you forget the key?”

There was no response and the knocking persisted.

“Come on, Sehun. I’m not getting up there,” Chanyeol groaned, leaning his head back on the couch before giving up, “Fine! I get it.”

 

  
Chanyeol lazily dragged himself to the door and had to unlock five different locks to open it. As mercenaries and considering the nature of their jobs, they had to be safe and practice extra precaution even at their own home.

Chanyeol sighed, slouching his shoulders, expecting to see Sehun but finding a much shorter man with hair as dark as Sehun’s in front of the door.

“Who are you?” Chanyeol blurted out, hand firmly gripped on the door to shut it if necessary.

“The question is; who are you?” The shorter man replied, looking taken aback at Chanyeol.

“I know who I am. Who are you?” Chanyeol enunciated, pointing a finger at this short dark-haired man.

“Forget it, where’s my uncle, Sehun?” The short man replied, throwing his hands up in the air and obviously annoyed at Chanyeol already.

“You’re Sehun’s nephew?” Chanyeol responded.

“Yeah, I’m Kyungsoo, his nephew. I’m here to look for him. I have no idea who you are. I thought my uncle always worked alone. I didn’t know he had a partner now,” Kyungsoo stated.

“So you’re Kyungsoo, Sehun’s nephew?” Chanyeol reiterated, “-which means you are a Gauean?”

“Yeah? Isn’t that obvious,” Kyungsoo snorted.

“You’re his sister’s son. He told me about you. Sehun said your mother tried to kill him,” Chanyeol pointed out.

“Well, guess what? My mother tried to kill me too because I won’t do what she says, so I ran away here,” Kyungsoo tried to push the door open to get Chanyeol out of the way, “-now let me see my uncle. I need to talk to him!”

“No! I can’t let you in,” Chanyeol firmly stood his ground, pushing the door back against Kyungsoo.

 

Kyungsoo had shoved his shoulder and arm through the gap of the door, while Chanyeol was putting his back into closing it back shut.

Kyungsoo was strong indeed, not that Chanyeol was surprised. All the Gaueans were strong.

“Please, let me in!” Kyungsoo demanded, in a tug of war with the door and Chanyeol.

“No!” Chanyeol continued to refuse.

“What is your problem?” Kyungsoo hissed, trying to claw onto Chanyeol.

 

 

Chanyeol felt as if the door might threaten to break soon considering how hard it was being pushed at from both sides.

Chanyeol was thinking of just running and jumping out the window when he heard Sehun’s voice down the hallway.

 

Kyungsoo immediately removed himself from being squashed by Chanyeol with the door. Because of Kyungsoo’s sudden movement, the door slammed shut back into the frame and the five automatic locks came in place again.

“Shit,” Chanyeol cursed as he hastily tried to open all five locks again.

Chanyeol could hear Sehun and Kyungsoo talking down the hallway outside. Chanyeol was worried for Sehun, worried that Kyungsoo would kill Sehun.

Once Chanyeol undid all the locks, he grabbed the nearest laser gun he could find and ran out the door.

 

 

Chanyeol was prepared for confrontation, but he wasn’t prepared to find Sehun consoling a crying Kyungsoo in the hallway.

Chanyeol didn’t understand what they were talking about as they spoke in their native Gauean language, and not in the lingua franca that everyone in Anam and almost the entire galaxy spoke.

Chanyeol only understood basic Gauean language like asking directions to the toilet and how to order food, which he picked up from Sehun over the past two years.

He didn’t understand what Sehun and Kyungsoo were talking about, but he understood the emotions Kyungsoo was displaying.

 

The Gaueans were stereotyped by outsiders as strong, cold, harsh and fearless. There were also less than 50,000 Gaueans left in over the trillions of living beings throughout the galaxy.

Chanyeol didn’t know whether it was by pure chance or luck for him to meet two Gaueans who were nothing they were supposed to be.

One was compassionate, taking him in during a time of need. And Chanyeol would learn that the other would be the most selfless person he would ever meet in the far-reaches of the galaxy.

 

 


	2. Nebula

 

Within an hour of Kyungsoo’s arrival in Sehun’s apartment on Anam, Kyungsoo was already moving into Sehun’s room.

Kyungsoo had apparently run away from Kunryun a few weeks ago, and had only arrived that day by smuggling himself aboard a shuttle cargo ship that made routine trips from Kunryun to Anam.

When Kyungsoo arrived, he had nothing on him but the clothes on his back, a sword he wrapped with a piece of cloth and string, and Sehun’s address scribbled onto a piece of paper in a script that Chanyeol could not read but recognized to be the Gauean language.

 

Kyungsoo stumbled into the cramped apartment, shivering, with tear stains running down from his face and looking like he hadn’t slept in days. Kyungsoo almost tripped over the scattered tools and maps all over the floor in the apartment, but Sehun had caught Kyungsoo and showed him to the room.

Chanyeol was still confused and could only stand from afar, watching the uncle and nephew talking on the bed in Sehun’s room.

Chanyeol didn’t know what they were talking about still, but Kyungsoo was trembling as he spoke and Sehun was comforting him, looking remorseful on behalf of Kyungsoo.

Chanyeol could hardly imagine what Kyungsoo had gone through to be in such a state.

 

 

Kyungsoo had dark hair and eyes like Sehun, although Chanyeol did expect Kyungsoo to be taller like Sehun.

Chanyeol had not met any other Gauean than Sehun. Kyungsoo was the second Gauean that Chanyeol had met, and he appeared to look like how Chanyeol always thought Gaueans would appear to be.

Chanyeol did think that it wasn’t fair to make such an assumption though since Kyungsoo and Sehun were related. Chanyeol meant no harm, he was just curious.

 

 

 

Kyungsoo went to sleep on Sehun’s bed a while later. Only then, Sehun left the room to go talk to Chanyeol who had begun clearing up the apartment because he didn’t want anyone tripping and falling all over the mess on the floor.

Chanyeol still barely knew Kyungsoo and he already felt bad that Kyungsoo almost hurt himself because of it.

 

“He’ll be staying with us and joining our team from now on,” Sehun announced, as he helped Chanyeol clear the floor and move the tools elsewhere.

“Oh, okay, I guess,” Chanyeol replied, still a bit confused and not quite adjusted to the situation.

“He can have my room,” Sehun continued, throwing some tools to the side.

“So, where will you sleep then?” Chanyeol asked, assuming that Sehun would start sleeping on the couch.

“You and I can share rooms. I’ll just sleep on the floor. I’ll find something,” Sehun answered, shrugging his shoulder, sitting cross-legged on the floor as he looked towards a squatting Chanyeol.

“Uh…” Chanyeol gaped, “I don’t mean to be rude but why can’t you share with Kyungsoo? Aren’t you two family?”

“I don’t mind that actually, I just feel bad for him, you know, so I wanted him to be comfortable now that’s he’s here. He’s never left Kunryun in all of his life, and he’s just used to living differently there,” Sehun looked over the closed door of his once room- now Kyungsoo’s, as a stale breeze continued to blow in from the windows, “-he’s been through a lot. He served Kunryun a lot but this is how they repay him. Not that I’m surprised though, stuff is like that where we come from,”

“What happened? Why did Kyungsoo leave Kunryun?” Chanyeol questioned, his curiosity getting the better of him, when his tact would have told him to shut up and mind his own business.

“-let’s just say that if Kyungsoo was discovered here by someone from the Gauean military, they’d probably kill him,” Sehun explained, nonchalantly.

“So, like you, yeah?”

“My sister, Kyungsoo’s mother, might still want to kill me if she knows I have been in touch with her son all this time. I don’t know really. It’s been over a hundred Gauean years since I last saw her. At least the whole government doesn’t have me on a wanted list as they do with Kyungsoo,” Sehun replied, “We’ll be fine though. I don’t think they know where Kyungsoo went but I trust they’ll start looking soon.” 

 

 

Chanyeol was about to say something, about how Sehun was talking like it was a normal thing to happen. Then, Chanyeol realized that it was probably a normal thing for a Gauean and chose to not say anything about that. Chanyeol didn’t want to be rude and wanted to respect on their culture’s sensitivities.

Chanyeol did come across the thought that it would be very dangerous to have Kyungsoo around, based on what Sehun had told him.

Chanyeol didn’t want to ask what it was that caused Kyungsoo to be hunted by the Gauean military, but it sounded really bad even for Gauean standards to have that upon him.

 

Chanyeol did not know what to do if a squad of Gauean soldiers just stormed onto Anam to take Kyungsoo and possibly Sehun back.

Chanyeol trusted Sehun though. There was a reason why Anam was chosen as Sehun’s main base; because of the moon’s position as the galaxy’s neutral territory where no government was allowed to exert their power or sovereignty on it.

While they were there, no Gauean soldiers were allowed to come in for their national affairs, which happened to be catching Kyungsoo and bringing him back to Kunryun.

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol found it hard to go to sleep after that; after Kyungsoo arrived. Sehun was sleeping on a rug they got from another planet, on the floor beside his bed. Sehun didn’t snore or stir in his sleep, so he wasn’t really the cause that Chanyeol wasn’t sleeping.

Because there was no such thing as day or night on Anam, the moon operated constantly around the clock. Large businesses never closed. The levitating trains and buses never stopped and even Anam’s government operated constantly with three different mayors taking a turn in shifts.

For convenience, Anam still did run on a 25 hours day clock. Although, everyone on Anam ran on their time schedule, choosing to sleep and wake when they want or see fit, without the day-night rotation determining how it should be.

Sehun and Chanyeol chose to follow a schedule to sleep in the early hours; when the Anam time was between 00:00 and 09:00.

 

 

It was only the third Anam hour, which Chanyeol read from the holographic clock floating on a bedside table.

Chanyeol remained laying down on his bed for a while, after giving up on trying to sleep. Maybe it was because he had been lazing around the entire day, so he wasn’t tired enough to go to bed.

Chanyeol pressed an arm to his forehead as he looked out the window beside his bed. Chanyeol’s had the blinders down but he could still see some flashing neon lights from the buildings outside, seeping through the window.

There was an occasional whizzing sound when the occasional light passenger vehicle flew by their apartment, causing the window to rattle a bit when it passed by.

 

 

Chanyeol had sharp ears. It wasn’t a Vuurian trait, just a gift he had that was only slightly advantageous at times.

Chanyeol heard Kyungsoo tripping on some of the mess on the floor outside, that was only partially cleaned up because there weren’t enough corners of the apartment to dump it all at.

Kyungsoo was probably headed to the small kitchen in the apartment, Chanyeol deduced.          

 

Kyungsoo looked very exhausted when he arrived, and had gone to sleep just shortly after, so he didn’t really get to meet Chanyeol properly.

Chanyeol thought that Kyungsoo would be hungry, especially after the long journey as a stowaway on a cargo ship. Chanyeol remembered Sehun saying that he had never left Kunryun in all of his life.

While Chanyeol didn’t really leave a good first impression on Kyungsoo; Chanyeol, like all Vuurians, was a hospitable person and didn’t want to leave Kyungsoo fending for himself in the equally messy kitchen while hungry and needing to eat or drink.

Especially, since it was Kyungsoo’s first time anywhere but on Kunryun.

 

Chanyeol crept out of bed, walking the other way around, avoiding Sehun on the floor as he quietly left the room.

 

 

Chanyeol found Kyungsoo in the kitchen, holding a cup and trying to figure out how to work the water filter and dispenser, which was different than how it was on Kunryun. 

Kyungsoo looked a bit scared with all the controls and buttons he weren’t familiar with, not wanting to mess things up.

Seeing that, Chanyeol quickly strode over to the kitchen to help Kyungsoo.

 

“I got it,” Chanyeol reached out, speaking in basic Gauean language, taking the cup from Kyungsoo’s hands.

Kyungsoo didn’t say anything. He only stepped back to give Chanyeol some room to work the thing around.

Chanyeol filled the cup almost full to the brim with water before handing it over to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo muttered a low “thanks” in Gauean language and immediately gulped down the entire cup in one go.

“Please, can I have more,” Kyungsoo requested, this time in the lingua franca as he handed the cup back to Chanyeol.

 

 

Chanyeol obliged and Kyungsoo repeated for three more times before Kyungsoo said he was good.

“Oh, you can speak the lingua franca,” Chanyeol noted, standing in the cramped kitchen with Kyungsoo.

“Yeah, I can,” Kyungsoo replied, holding the half-full cup in his hands.

“Your accent is quite good too,” Chanyeol pointed out, “I was a bit worried that you wouldn’t be able to understand me. You see, I don’t speak the Gauean language.”

“It’s okay; I don’t expect you to either. The Gauean language is one of the hardest in the universe, after all,” Kyungsoo assured.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to properly meet each other just now. I didn’t know who you were and I was worried that you had come to assassinate Sehun. I’m sorry about that whole thing just now,” Chanyeol apologized, kicking away some junk near his feet as he held out a hand towards Kyungsoo, “I’m Chanyeol, by the way. I’m from the planet Vuur.”

“I’m Kyungsoo but I think Uncle Sehun told you about me by now though,” Kyungsoo bowed his head instead, not shaking Chanyeol’s hand as that wasn’t how he was used to, “I apologize for how I acted earlier on too. I wasn’t aware that my uncle has a partner now, since the last time we were in contact with each other, he was still working alone.”

“-right, yeah,” Chanyeol flustered, remembering that Gaueans didn’t do handshakes as he retracted his arm back.

 

Chanyeol quickly changed the topic,”-you came a long way. You must be hungry. Do you want something to eat?”

“Yes, please. I’ll have anything you can give me,” Kyungsoo was grateful.

“I’ll go make something for you. Take a seat while I make something,” Chanyeol offered, noting how soft and politely Kyungsoo spoke.

Then again, Gaueans were known for being very polite and respectful, which was a bit odd considering their violent culture.

 

 

 

Chanyeol and Sehun hardly cooked while they were on Anam. They were used to eating outside or having takeouts. After all, there were so many places to eat on Anam with foods and dishes from all over the galaxy.

Although, there was some food there in the apartment that Chanyeol could possibly serve to Kyungsoo.

 

Chanyeol tore open some grub rations from a shiny metallic packaging, before pouring the condensed jelly-like substance into a bowl that he later heated up.

The jelly-like substance melted into a greenish-brown soup with some larger chunks and bits floating in it.

 

 

Holding the bowl steady in his hand, Chanyeol served it to Kyungsoo who was sitting on the couch by the open window, while looking out towards the Anam skyline and its dark sky.

“Here,” Chanyeol said as he carefully passed the bowl to Kyungsoo.

“Thank you,” Kyungsoo smiled as he drank the soup straight from the bowl, which was designed to not heat up despite its hot content. 

 

 

Chanyeol sat on the other end of the couch, across from Kyungsoo. Chanyeol sat with his legs up on the couch as he rested an arm on the back of the couch, while he waited for Kyungsoo.

The stale and humid breeze continued to blow from the window and into the apartment. Kyungsoo was sitting right beside the window.

Kyungsoo closed his eyes, letting the breeze blow onto his face and slightly ruffling his dark hair when he felt it come again, pausing a while from drinking the soup.

 

“The wind feels rather dry here, doesn’t it?” Kyungsoo noted.

“It is,” Chanyeol chimed in, resting his chin on his knees, “The wind on Anam comes from the uninhabited part where it’s always daylight. It’s just a hot barren desert out there with no water. No one lives there. Everyone lives on the dark side in Anam.”

“So I’ve heard,” Kyungsoo nodded, holding the bowl with both hands at chest level, “-I can’t see the star from this side of the moon either. It will take me some time to get used to the lack of day and night cycles here.”

“Yeah, you’d have to go over to the bright side if you want to look at it. It’s really hot there though. I don’t think a Gauean can stand the temperature though,” Chanyeol informed.  

“That shouldn’t be a problem for you though, isn’t it? I’ve heard that’s it searing hot on Vuur. You should be used to that, I assume,” Kyungsoo supposed.

“I’ve been to the bright side on Anam. It’s nothing compared to on Vuur,” Chanyeol lightly chuckled at the recollection, before being hit by the thought that his planet would eventually cool down and become colder than even the day side of Anam.

 

“I can’t imagine,” Kyungsoo pondered, looking back out the window. Kyungsoo gazed and longingly looked out the sky, but even the dark skies were polluted by light here unlike back on Kunryun.

“Do you miss Kunryun already?” Chanyeol cautiously asked, not wanting to be too intrusive but also wanting Kyungsoo to feel comfortable there.

“Definitely. There’s no place like home,” Kyungsoo returned, “-I had my whole life on Kunryun but I can’t return there any more. So I have to accept that and move on.”

“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol sympathized, continuing after a pause, “…I know how that feels like. My planet is dying and I’d like to go back but there’s no point now. My people have also begun settling in different planets in other parts of the galaxy. All we can do is move on.”

“I am aware of that,” Kyungsoo acknowledged, “I’m sorry that has happened to your people too.”

“It’s fine,” Chanyeol laughed it off, keeping his voice low because Sehun was still asleep, “There are lots more planets for us to migrate to in the galaxy. Our star is the oldest in the universe and its time is coming to end too. Nothing strange about that.”

Kyungsoo chuckled, slightly easing up thanks to Chanyeol, “The star that Kunryun orbits around is said to be able to sustain life for hundreds of millions years to come. But I think my people will have caused their own extinction before that can happen.”

 

 

When Kyungsoo pointed out that fact and in the manner, he had done so, it made the whole Gauean situation sound so normal from their perspective.

From an outsider’s perspective, Chanyeol’s to be precise; he could see how wrong that was. Although it made him uncomfortable, Chanyeol didn’t feel like it was his place to point that out and tell the Gaueans they have been living the “wrong” way.

 

Chanyeol didn’t know how to continue the conversation from there, even more, when Kyungsoo looked like he missed his home so badly. Chanyeol didn’t want to cross that line due to cultural differences, but he wanted Kyungsoo to feel warmly welcomed there too.

This wasn’t like when he first met Sehun, even though they were both nothing like Chanyeol expected Gaueans to be.

Chanyeol racked through his brain for anything to say before coming up with, “I’m excited to have you with us though. You must be very good at fighting since you’re a Gauean and all. I’m sure you’d be a good addition to Sehun and I’s team. I look forward to working with you.”

Kyungsoo bowed his head to Chanyeol, “I do look forward to working with you too.”

“Amazing!” Chanyeol smiled wide to cheer up Kyungsoo, “So what did you do back on Kunryun? I heard Sehun was a leader of one of your military units.”

“Me too! I was training to become an engineer actually but after Sehun left, I took over his position because I was strong enough to fill in the position,” Kyungsoo answered, cheerfully with a smile for once.  

 

 

Chanyeol kept smiling even as he felt a shiver ran down his spine, at the thought of now having to live and work with not one but two of Kunryun’s strongest individuals, who were already known as strong in the first place.

As a Vuurian, he tended to believe in such things like a predestined fate and meeting that their culture believed in. Chanyeol still wasn’t sure if this was a pure coincidence, if he was lucky or if somehow, the universe was trying to tell him something.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

  
One month on Anam later; the newly formed trio of Sehun, Chanyeol and now Kyungsoo set off on their first mission together to the forest-covered planet of Daraxt.

The people of Daraxt lived atop trees and in scattered villages throughout the rainy and temperate-weathered planet. However, they weren’t the original settlers of the planets and had in recent years, found trouble with the native population of Daraxt, who were basically mindless stone giants that stood at an average of 10 meters tall.

The stone giants were only interested in looting the villages and tree houses, as they were known to be hoarders without having any use for the things they stole.

This had hindered progress and further development on Daraxt; which had caused Sehun’s mercenary group to be called in to eradicate the stone giants on Daraxt. 

 

 

After a week’s travel from Anam aboard Sehun’s starship, Umi, the trio arrived in Daraxt.

It was raining when they arrived on Daraxt. After a group discussion, it was agreed that Sehun would clear off the stone giants abode by himself, in the massive cave they lived in under a mountain range.

Meanwhile, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol would clear off a group of about forty stone giants who were en route to pillage and loot a village. Although it seemed like Sehun had more work to do for one person, he was as strong as a hundred men so there was that. 

 

 

There wasn’t anywhere to land nearby so Kyungsoo and Chanyeol had to be airdropped from Umi onto the forest below in the rain.

When the cargo doors were opened and Chanyeol was strapping his parachute and goggles on, his mouth dropped open in horror when he saw Kyungsoo only wearing a cape to keep out the rain before running off and jumping out into a several hundred meters fall below.

“Is he alright!” Chanyeol yelled into the in-ear piece he had on for communication, the wind loudly roaring in the cargo bay.

“He’ll be fine!” Sehun yelled over the communication system from inside the cockpit.

“Okay then,” Chanyeol accepted and began his own jump off the starship.

 

 

 

Chanyeol landed into a small uninhabited clearing of the forest on the surface of Daraxt, where he then saw Kyungsoo jogging up to him from behind. The rain was beginning to grow heavier, the longer they were there.

Chanyeol wore a goggled helmet to keep out the rain from his face and eyes, on top of his waterproof combat suit which was painted dark green to blend into Daraxt’s environment.

Chanyeol had a lot of laser guns strapped around his body, while Kyungsoo had only arrived with a cape and the sword he brought along all the way from Kunryun. This had worried Chanyeol because this was the first time they would go into battle together.

 

 

“The stone giant hoard is 4 kilometers north of here,” Kyungsoo informed, as they trekked through the forest.

“Kyungsoo, I don’t mean to be rude but I don’t think your sword will work that much against ten meter tall stone giants,” Chanyeol tried to warn.

Sehun was heard laughing over the communication system in Umi, which Chanyeol saw as an additional sign for concern.

“I’m a sword user, Chanyeol. You’re just probably used to working with Sehun who has adapted to non-Gauean weapons like guns and lasers. Our traditional weapons are bladed like knives, spears, and swords,” Kyungsoo tried to explain, as they crouched behind a large tree among the growth, awaiting the stone giant hordes.

 

Chanyeol spat out some of the mud that had splashed into his mouth because of the raindrops, before he continued speaking, “I know! I trust that you’re strong but your sword is just probably some metal. It will break and that’s what worries me!”

“Why do you worry about me? You had to bring guns out here because your powers don’t work in the rain. You should worry about yourself,” Kyungsoo expressed, pulling onto the guns strapped on Chanyeol’s chest.

“I’m better where it’s hotter,” Chanyeol tried to assure.

“So just let me do the job here then,” Kyungsoo asserted, sheathing his one-handed sword from its scabbard as he charged onto the first stone giant that appeared within eyesight.

“Kyungsoo, wait!” Chanyeol tried to stop but he was too late.

 

 

Kyungsoo had run from around the tree to charge at the first stone giant in the vicinity. For the first time, Chanyeol saw Kyungsoo in action and exactly how this particular Gauean fought.

Kyungsoo was light on his feet, and because of Daraxt’s weaker gravitational pull, Kyungsoo was able to jump higher and cling onto the giants before taking them down by precise cuts and slashes.

Kyungsoo moved swiftly and gracefully like the wind, skillfully avoiding the stone giants who tried to crush him with their massive hands or legs. The stone giants didn’t even come close to touching Kyungsoo because he adeptly avoided them while taking the stone giants down.

 

 

Kyungsoo’s sword was able to cut through the hard stone body of the giants, making clear clean cuts as he did so. The stone giants crumbled into smaller pieces of rock and rubble when they were killed.

The rain didn’t seem to hinder Kyungsoo either, although Chanyeol was actually at a disadvantage in this climate.

Chanyeol started to wonder how Gauean swords were made to be so strong, where they were able to cut through hard stone like it was nothing.

 

Chanyeol fired his guns at the stone giants to help Kyungsoo take them down, although he was soon overwhelmed by the incoming horde and had no time to be backing up Kyungsoo, when he had his own butt to save. 

Kyungsoo seemed to be fine, though, despite Chanyeol’s worry.

 

 

 

During the course of the battle, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo found themselves pressed back to back against each other under the rain that wasn’t letting up anytime soon. They were breathing heavily against each other’s backs, as they were surrounded by at least ten to twelve remaining stone giants who despite being mindless, recognized them both as threats that needed to be taken out.

Sehun was heard over the communication system, laughing to himself as Kyungsoo and Chanyeol heard loud echoing sounds of an explosion that Sehun had caused. Sehun was having a row within the stone giant’s caves as he was taking them all down solo.

Gaueans were indeed mad in battle.

Chanyeol still had more rounds of laser and plasma gun ammunition to work with. But he wasn’t worried for himself, because he still doubted how strong Gauean steel was supposed to be.

 

 

“You good there?” Chanyeol panted, back pressed against Kyungsoo.

“All good,” Kyungsoo replied, looking over his shoulder at Chanyeol, “I’ll charge into them and get their attention. You shoot them from afar while they’re distracted with me, alright?”

“Why do you Gaueans like charging head-on into the battle!?” Chanyeol was alarmed. But before he could even finish his sentence, Kyungsoo was already running head-on into the remaining stone giants.

 

Sehun was again heard laughing like a madman over the communication system before another loud explosion was heard echoing over the communication system.

It was so loud that Chanyeol had to pull out his in-ear so he could focus on the matter at hand, which was to shoot down the stone giants while Kyungsoo had their attention.

 

“This one!” Kyungsoo yelled over the rain, hanging from one stone giant’s shoulder as he had his sword stabbed onto its head to contain its movements.

Chanyeol made the clear shot, decimating the stone giant’s head into pieces and killing it, at the same time Kyungsoo jumped onto another while avoiding being crushed by rocks.

 

 

 

They would repeat this until they took down the last stone giant from the horde, only leaving a heap of rocks and rubble where the stone giants had been killed.

Chanyeol had run out of ammunition by then and he was sitting on some muddy grass, where the rainfall was softer because of the tree cover. Chanyeol’s legs were splayed in front of him as he panted, wiping rainwater off from his face, as he put his in-ear back on and radioed over to Sehun.

Sehun shouted over the communication system, “Still busy! I’ll get you boys, when I’m done!”, before going out of the communication range.

 

“I’m surprised your sword didn’t break,” Chanyeol panted with his arms around his waist, looking up at Kyungsoo who was standing in front of him.

“It will break when I break,” Kyungsoo answered, also breathing heavily.

“I don’t know what that means but I-“Chanyeol was interrupted by the sounds of rustling through the trees, that Kyungsoo did not catch over the rain falling.

 

 

Chanyeol immediately rose to his feet and saw over Kyungsoo’s shoulder, another stone giant emerging from the trees, looking very furious with a house-sized boulder of rock on its shoulders.

“Kyungsoo, watch out!” Chanyeol yelled, grabbing Kyungsoo by the cape and pushing him as far to the side as possible when the boulder was hurled at their direction.

Chanyeol closed his eyes, held out both arms crossed in front of his face and chest as he braced for the boulder to hit him.

It was the best he could do because he had spent that split second of reaction time to push Kyungsoo out of the way.

 

It would hurt and even a Vuurian like Chanyeol would have several broken bones if it had hit him. Gaueans may be stronger in terms of raw power, but they were less sturdy and had a lower resistant to injuries when compared to Vuurians. Chanyeol decided it would still be better for him to be hit by that boulder, and not Kyungsoo. 

But the strike never came and Chanyeol opened his eyes to see that Kyungsoo had destroyed the boulder before it had even hit him, and was now having a go at the stone giant by himself.

Chanyeol scrunched his nose in the rain, watching how Kyungsoo dexterously took down this one last stone giant they had missed earlier on.

 

 

 

Chanyeol was still panting, now bent over with his hands on his knees as Kyungsoo approached him again, asking if Chanyeol was alright.

“How’d you do that?” Chanyeol pointed to the boulder that was now literally sliced in two.

“I just threw my sword at it,” Kyungsoo answered like it was a normal thing to say.

“How does your sword work again?” Chanyeol really wanted to know the answer this time.

“It’s just a normal sword but I can pour my strength into it. It converts my physical strength so the sword is as strong as I am. That’s why I say that it won’t break unless I do,” Kyungsoo explained, walking over to a tree for shade.

 

“Oh, interesting! Why doesn’t Sehun have one of those?” Chanyeol clapped his hands together, spraying some rainwater on his gloves.

Chanyeol joined Kyungsoo as they sat under a large protruding root of the tree that gave them some form of cover from the rain. There was still some water that leaked through the roots, occasionally dripping onto them but it was the best they could get.

“Uncle Sehun? He used to have one but he prefers other weapons now,” Kyungsoo assumed, sitting with his legs curled up to his chest under the massive tree root.

“That makes sense,” Chanyeol nodded as he sat beside Kyungsoo with his legs crossed, watching a small stream of water form on the ground and flow down because of the rain.

 

 

A cool wind blew through, felt even under the tree root. The wind was even colder on their wet skins even though it only lasted a few seconds at most.

As a Vuurian, Chanyeol was already at a disadvantage because of the rain and the cold only served to beat him more due to his natural weakness.

Despite being adequately dressed, Chanyeol began to shiver violently as he hugged himself for warmth.

 

 

“You know, I didn’t manage to thank you earlier for saving me-,” Kyungsoo turned his head to the side to thank Chanyeol when he saw the Vuurian looking rather pale and shivering.

Kyungsoo looked up to see water dripping onto them even under the cover of the massive root, splashing onto Chanyeol.

Kyungsoo undid the cape that was fastened around his neck, pulling it over himself to cover Chanyeol with it. Kyungsoo’s cape was waterproof and was very much dry inside and warm when worn.

 

Kyungsoo fixed the cape on Chanyeol, fixing it around Chanyeol’s neck.

Chanyeol, trembling, lifted his head from his knees to look at Kyungsoo as he tried to protest, “No, you’ll get cold.”

“I’m fine,” Kyungsoo assured, “It rains a lot on Kunryun too and our winters are cold. I’m used to it but you’re not so just take it, alright?”

“-but you’ll get wet,” Chanyeol tried to argue, seeing that Kyungsoo was just wearing normal clothes under his cape.

“It’s just a little bit. Uncle Sehun will be here for us soon.” Kyungsoo tried to dismiss.

“We’ll share it then,” Chanyeol suggested, unfastening the cape from around his neck and moving closer to Kyungsoo so they could share it.

 

 

Kyungsoo obliged and sat close, pressed up against Chanyeol’s side on the earthy ground under the massive tree root. Kyungsoo angled himself to partially face Chanyeol so the cape would be able to at least cover their head and shoulders from the rain.

“Is this alright?” Kyungsoo tried to make sure, looking at Chanyeol who was holding one side of the cape up over their heads, while Kyungsoo held up the other hand with one arm.

The wind was felt blowing again although it felt a bit better to Chanyeol this time.

“I’m okay,” Chanyeol trembled, teeth chattering, “You keep me warm too.”

“You really feel cold though,” Kyungsoo noticed, touching Chanyeol’s face that was close to his. Kyungsoo ran his fingers down Chanyeol’s earlobe, observing, “-especially here.”

 

Without Chanyeol even asking him to, Kyungsoo rubbed Chanyeol’s ears with his much warmer hand. Chanyeol unwillingly leaned into the touch, feeling Kyungsoo's warm hand like a touch of paradise because of how cold he felt. Kyungsoo was just doing a favor.

Chanyeol then realized how inappropriate that was before pulling his head away and then telling Kyungsoo, “It’s alright. I got an idea.”

“What is it?”

“Here, hold up the cape for us,” Chanyeol instructed, removing his arm so he could have both hands free.

Kyungsoo held the cape up over their heads while Chanyeol brought his two hands together to form a cup.

 

 

Kyungsoo’s face lit up in joy when he saw Chanyeol produce a small orange fire within his hands. It was very small, even smaller than Chanyeol’s palm but it was considerably warm when close to it.

“I pull energy from my own body heat and surroundings to make the fire. There’s not much I can do right now. Sorry,” Chanyeol muttered, cradling the fire in his hands, moving his hands to Kyungsoo’s side to share the warmth.

“I like it, it’s nice,” Kyungsoo gleefully mentioned, smiling.

“I swear, it gets bigger than this. Trust me, I can do so much more,” Chanyeol insisted, feeling like his pride was being challenged.

“Oh, sure it can,” Kyungsoo laughed, not really taking it too seriously.

 

 

Kyungsoo still missed his home and longed to return but after that mission, he began to think that he might be getting used to things as it was.

Chanyeol, on the other hand, discovered that he was constantly being one-upped by not one but two Gaueans now. But that was okay because he found that he loved working with them.

 

 


	3. Cosmic Dust

 

The wind was roaring loudly in Chanyeol’s ear. His hair was dancing wildly in the wind. He had his usual pair of goggles on to keep the wind from blinding his vision.

The strong constant gust of wind was blowing in the opposite direction in the direction they were traveling.

Chanyeol couldn’t use his power of fire here too either. A small fire would be extinguished by the wind and a large fire would get too dangerous aided by the wind.

Because of that, Chanyeol was thankful for laser and plasma guns because, in this wind, a standard metal bullet would be hitting him in the face instead if he were to fire opposing the wind.

Chanyeol had a plasma gun with him this time, pointed towards the enemies that came at Kyungsoo, as was his job to back Kyungsoo up and take down the targets from a distance.

In front of him, Kyungsoo was doing well fighting the enemies with just his sword and sometimes even using the scabbard at his own disposal.

Like the wind that blew around them, Kyungsoo was swift and graceful, while Chanyeol would find himself in near grave danger.  

 

 

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo were on the top open deck of an old gas-powered airship, flying at an altitude where the low clouds formed in the sky above the planet Rasaoir.

The geography of the planet Rasaoir was mostly rocky mountain ranges with barely any flatlands except near the coast. The people of Rasaoir lived in cities carved into the side of these mountains, high up above sea level.

The Rasaoir’s population main source of an economy was trading and they would operate large gas-powered airships to travel between cities to transport their goods to and fro.

 

 

However, as of late, a group of pirates had been causing trouble by hijacking these trading ships to steal the goods and hold the crew hostage in order to extort money from the Rasaoir government.

Sehun was called in by the Rasaoir’s president to eliminate this pirate group. Sehun accepted the job and Chanyeol and Kyungsoo went along as part of the new trio they formed with each other.

 

A special decoy ship was sent out under the guise of traveling the normal shipping route to attract the pirate group’s attention.

The pirates bought the decoy, only to discover that Sehun was piloting the airship and that not goods, but Kyungsoo and Chanyeol waiting for them in the payload area.

 

 

Sehun was now trying to juggle between piloting the airship, not wanting it to crash while fending off some pirates who had stormed the flight deck.

In the meantime, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol had brought the fight up to the open flight deck, where the pirates had their own ship anchored mid-flight to the decoy airship.

Like they had discussed, Kyungsoo would be the usual attention grabber and fight off the pirates while Chanyeol would work on boarding the pirate ship to take it down.

 

 

Chanyeol was trying to make a clear shot at one of the pirates who was much larger than Kyungsoo and had him in an almost chokehold.

Chanyeol was supposed to be boarding the pirate ship now but he found himself not feeling at ease enough to just leave Kyungsoo there against maybe tens other.

In the middle of his hesitation, the door to the flight deck shattered open into pieces as Sehun was heard laughing and hurling a pirate through the door and off the ship.

Chanyeol sucked it up and reminded himself that they would be alright and that he needed to do his job. Chanyeol just couldn’t help but be concerned about them, when he was supposed to be worrying about himself more.

 

 

Chanyeol left Kyungsoo to deal with the pirates as he snuck onto the pirate ship that was anchored onto the decoy ship.

Chanyeol had to run on a plank of wood that was the only thing bridging the two ships together mid-air, hundreds of meters above the ground with a nasty fall to the treacherous ridged mountains below should he fall.

 

  
Aboard the pirate ship, Chanyeol fought and successfully shot down the few remaining pirates left there. Then, Chanyeol made his way to the pirate ship’s flight deck and struggled a few minutes before finally taking down their pilot and taking over the flight system.

“I’m in. I have control of their ship,” Chanyeol announced over their personal in-ear communication system.

“Okay, good. Take it down when you can,” Sehun replied while wrestling with one pirate and keeping in control of the decoy ship at the same time. The pirate was heard choking and spattering as Sehun was taking them down.

Kyungsoo didn’t reply over the communication system although he was aware of what was being talked about. He just continued what he was doing, swinging swords and cutting down pirates. Kyungsoo was never one to talk much while he was working.

 

 

Like Chanyeol was briefed to do, he disengaged the autopilot on the airship and set it on a descending course to crash into the side of a mountain that was far from any civilization.

Once Chanyeol had that done, he had less than a minute to run out the flight deck and back onto the decoy ship before he would be crashing down together with the pirate ship.

 

 

When Chanyeol arrived again at the bridge between the two ships to jump back onto the decoy ship, Chanyeol was met with a pirate who had come aboard to stop him from leaving.

Chanyeol managed to defeat and shoot down the pirate. But he had wasted precious time in doing so and by then, the pirate ship was decreasing in altitude and was no longer anchored to the decoy ship.

Chanyeol rushed to the bridge, only to see that the bridge of the decoy ship was now several meters above him as the pirate ship began to lose altitude.

 

“Chanyeol!” Kyungsoo yelled over the wind roaring around them, seeing that Chanyeol had not boarded their ship yet. “Uncle Sehun! Decrease altitude! Chanyeol is still on the pirate ship!” Kyungsoo addressed Sehun over the communication system.

“Fine! Be quick though! We’ll be crashing ourselves if I descend too fast, the ship can’t keep it up for long!” Sehun yelled back into the communication system.

 

Kyungsoo ran to the bridge of the decoy ship, dangling his upper half over the railings as he held out an arm to Chanyeol, who was now several meters beneath him on the soon-to-be crashing pirate ship.

“Jump! I got you!” Kyungsoo yelled over the roaring wind, lowering himself as far as possible so Chanyeol could reach his hand.

 

 

Chanyeol hesitated, looking up at the hand Kyungsoo was holding out for him. He could probably make the jump now that Sehun was trying to match their ship’s altitude with the sinking pirate ship. But he was afraid of slipping off the railings that he was already struggling to balance himself on.

“Chanyeol, you better hurry!” Sehun warned over the communication system.

“Chanyeol, quick!” Kyungsoo called out, looking over his shoulder to see one last pirate still alive and charging towards his direction at the same time.

 

 

Chanyeol took his chances and leaped off the railings, jumping up as high as he could to catch Kyungsoo’s hand, ignoring the fact that he would most likely die if he fell.

Kyungsoo caught Chanyeol’s hand, leaving Chanyeol dangling mid-air at the side of the airship, held up only by Kyungsoo’s right arm.

 

 

Chanyeol was about to begin climbing the side of the airship while holding onto Kyungsoo when he felt himself being lifted and hoisted onto the ship.

The moment Chanyeol found himself being pulled over the railings and onto the top deck; he was swung around by the arms and used as a club for Kyungsoo to knock out the last remaining pirate aboard their ship.

 

Kyungsoo later pushed the pirate off the ship as Chanyeol was panting, breathing heavily and lying on the wooden floor deck where the wind didn’t blow as much.

It didn’t hurt but Chanyeol could feel as if his back had just been slapped harshly into a wall, which left it feeling stinging and slightly sore.

 

 

“Why’d you do that?” Chanyeol heaved, trying to catch his breath as he looked up at Kyungsoo who was standing where his head lied at.

“You’re sturdy,” Kyungsoo answered, “-besides, I had to let go of my sword to catch you, so you were the only thing I had in hand at the time.”

Chanyeol lifted a forefinger, pointing it upwards at Kyungsoo as he gasped between breaths, “You…Sehun did that to me once. He threw me into a wall.”

“You regret working with us now?” Sehun joked over the communication system as he was still on the flight deck.

“-absolutely not because Gaueans like Kyungsoo have a good grip. Otherwise, I’d have died. That grip saved me. It was my ‘Grip of Life’,” Chanyeol laughed, rolling onto his side near Kyungsoo’s feet.

Kyungsoo found it comical and he too laughed, as he stood hovering above beside Chanyeol.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, and Sehun returned from the mission unharmed and in one piece, although Chanyeol didn’t really want to ride another airship with an open top deck for a while to come.

The pirate group was taken down and the Rasaoir’s president rewarded Sehun handsomely for their services. The reward was later split three ways as usual, although most of the costs usually went to replenish their supplies and maintaining, Umi, Sehun’s starship. It wasn’t cheap to maintain a starship at all.

 

 

They remained on Rasaoir for a few more days to rest and resupply after the mission before returning to Anam. The journey to Rasaoir from Anam took a little over nine Anam days, each way.

Umi was able to travel non-stop throughout the galaxy for a standard Anam month before they required stopping for a refuel.

While it wasn’t the fastest starship or had the furthest range around, it was stealthy and convenient enough for Sehun to operate even when he was working alone, with some impressive cannons and defense systems to boot.

Unlike their apartment on Anam, it was actually several times more spacious and there were actually enough bunks for three people aboard Umi. There was actually even space for a fourth bunk should they add another person to their team.

 

 

 

While traveling aboard Umi in space, the crew operated based on Anam standard time. It was around the early Anam hours when Chanyeol woke up from his sleep, on his bunk and still aboard Umi.

They were only two Anam days into their journey back to Anam from Rasaoir. There was still at least seven days more of travel before they arrived.  

 

Chanyeol slept on a lower bunk and woke up to see Sehun’s arm dangling off the top bunk above him. Sehun was still very much asleep from the looks of it.

Chanyeol turned his head to the side to look at the bunk across from him, where Kyungsoo slept. Chanyeol found it empty and saw that the blankets and pillows had even been folded and put away.

 

Kyungsoo was alluring in a sort of mysterious way, Chanyeol learned. One of the reasons why Chanyeol felt that way was because Kyungsoo would always wake up in the middle of the night to apparently do something.

A few times, Chanyeol found Kyungsoo gazing up the sky even if there was really nothing to see on Anam.

Seeing that it was still very early, Chanyeol quietly crept out of the bunk to avoid waking up Sehun. Chanyeol was curious to see what Kyungsoo was doing or up to, having woken up at such a time.

 

 

Chanyeol left their sleeping area which was below the flight deck on Umi. Chanyeol climbed up the ladder to get up to the main flight deck, where he thought Kyungsoo would be.

When Chanyeol arrived on the flight deck, only the essential lighting was left turned on as was the usual procedure when they were asleep and Umi was on autopilot.

 

 

Chanyeol found Kyungsoo on the pilot’s seat, which Sehun was usually at while Chanyeol would assume the co-pilot’s position.

Kyungsoo still had his back turned to Chanyeol and hadn’t noticed Chanyeol’s presence there yet either.

Chanyeol could see through the glass view that they were actually flying through an asteroid belt.

 

 

A warning alarm would usually go off when approaching a dense asteroid belt, so as to alert the crew that the starship needed to be manually flown, slowed down and not be on autopilot to avoid a collision.

Chanyeol didn’t recall hearing the warning alarm and even if he had missed it while asleep, Sehun would have caught it. But apparently, both he and Sehun had slept through it. Or the alarm had never gone off in the first place because there was no threat of collision as detected by Umi’s sensors.

 

Chanyeol rushed to the pilot’s seat beside Kyungsoo and quickly strapped himself in, attempting to fly the starship through the asteroid belt.

“It’s fine,” Kyungsoo said, looking at Chanyeol. Kyungsoo pointed to the screen to show that Umi was still on autopilot and that Kyungsoo had not taken over the ship’s controls when they entered the asteroid belt.  

“-but we-,” Chanyeol tried to protest when Kyungsoo pointed him to look outside the glass view.

 

Chanyeol saw the asteroids floating around literally disperse and moved out of the way while Umi flew through it. The smaller asteroids weren’t obvious but Chanyeol was surprised to see an asteroid several times larger than Umi, simply fly out far off Umi’s flight path.

Nothing hit the starship, as they were seemingly moved from place to create an obstruction-free path while passing through the asteroid belt.

 

 

Chanyeol looked towards Kyungsoo to ask the Gauean how this was possible, whether it was some form of new technology that Chanyeol somehow did not know about or otherwise.

Instead, Chanyeol saw Kyungsoo intently looking and focused at the glass view. Sometimes, Kyungsoo would make a wiping motion with his fingers, directed at the glass view.

Kyungsoo’s eyes darted around and he moved his head a bit when Chanyeol noticed that Kyungsoo’s movements mimicked the pattern of the asteroids moving away from their path.

 

Chanyeol then realized that this was no technology but Kyungsoo’s doing instead.

Chanyeol didn’t hesitate to ask, almost at the edge of the seat, “How are you doing this?”

“I have the power to control celestial bodies. You know, asteroids are basically celestial bodies that weren’t large enough to become a planet,” Kyungsoo explained without losing focus, making a swiping gesture with two fingers to push an asteroid out of the way.

“So, it’s true!” Chanyeol uttered in astonishment.

“What is?” Kyungsoo looked over at Chanyeol briefly before returning his focus towards the glass view.

“I’ve heard tales from people on Vuur who say that some Gaueans can control these celestial bodies. I didn’t know whether that was true or not because I don’t know anybody who has met a Gauean either. When I first met Sehun, I asked him if that was true but Sehun said he doesn’t have that power. But you do!” Chanyeol almost jumped in his seat, pointing at Kyungsoo.

“Yeah, it’s not that common among Gaueans though. There are only less than forty of us with this power left. It’s an inherited ability and I got it from my father, that’s why Sehun doesn’t have it. I’m related to Uncle Sehun through my mother,” Kyungsoo explained, twitching his neck.

“That is interesting though. Why didn’t you tell me about it!?” Chanyeol excitedly mentioned.

“I don’t really think it’s important though. I just know that I have this power but I’ve only used it for small stuff like diverting a small meteor that was about to crash onto my home. Even Uncle Sehun is stronger than me without this ability,” Kyungsoo disregarded

“Oh, really?” Chanyeol nodded, processing the information before cheekily asking, “You know, I always wondered. Between you and Sehun, who is the stronger one?”

“Uncle Sehun is the stronger one, of course. He’s lived longer than me and has all the experience I don’t,” Kyungsoo plainly answered.

“I can see that but I still think you’re the cooler one though,” Chanyeol leaned in to whisper at Kyungsoo’s ear, “Don’t tell him I said that.”

 

Kyungsoo snickered, smiling to himself as he maintained focus on the glass view in front, “Well, between you and Uncle Sehun, I still think he is cooler though.”

Chanyeol playfully pouted, “Is it because of my small fire?”

Kyungsoo laughed, “Well, I trust you when you said it can be bigger.”

“I’ll show you, one day. You’ll see. It’s biggest especially when on Vuur,” Chanyeol promised, feeling confident.

“I’m looking forward to that,” Kyungsoo smiled, playing along.

 

 

At the mention of his home planet, Chanyeol was again hit by a pang of forlorn and sadness, at the thought of his dying planet and its star, Isioh.

Chanyeol never talked about his home much to Sehun and Kyungsoo. It was not that he didn’t care; Chanyeol just didn’t know how to deal with his feelings about it yet. In fact, it was caring too much that caused Chanyeol to feel that way.

 

Even stars die too eventually, and there was nothing that could be done about it. But still, Chanyeol felt like he could have done better, despite knowing and being aware that he was as close to useless concerning that matter.

Chanyeol hadn’t been back there in almost three Vuurian years, and he surely missed home very much. Chanyeol hadn’t been keeping in contact with his mother since then too.

Like Kyungsoo had said earlier on, there was no place like home, wherever in the universe one found their home to be.

Chanyeol started to wonder how his mother was doing, how the people were doing and how Vuur was holding up in the last of its years.

 

There was a thought that maybe, just maybe, Kyungsoo might be able to bring life back to Isioh, but Chanyeol quickly dismissed the thought.

Kyungsoo too had said that his powers weren’t that great, and Chanyeol wasn’t selfish enough to ask Kyungsoo to try and revive a whole dying star.  After all, Kyungsoo didn’t owe anything to the Vuurians to have him help out, Chanyeol believed.

Although Chanyeol ignored the thought, he was curious indeed at how this power Kyungsoo possessed was supposed to work.

 

 

After several minutes in silence and pushing the sad thought of his home dying to the back of his mind, Chanyeol pointed to a nebula in the far distance, observable from the glass view.

“Do you see that Nebula over there?” Chanyeol remarked.

“Yeah, it’s pretty with the colors and all. It’s where stars are born. It’s probably millions of light-years away. That’s why it looks so small from here,” Kyungsoo observed, noting the particular yellow and purplish twinkling of the nebula they were gazing upon.

“Do you think that you could probably control stars?” Chanyeol questioned, genuinely curious but also unable to deny that he wanted to know if Kyungsoo could really save his home.

“The larger the mass of the celestial body, the more power I need to do it,” Kyungsoo clarified, “I never tried anything larger than a meteor. Stars are one of the heaviest objects in the universe. I think I could actually do it though if I really tried, but I will land myself in trouble for sure.”

“Why? Are you not allowed to use your powers?” Chanyeol asked, resting his cheek on a palm.

“It’s not that,” Kyungsoo answered, bringing his attention back to the asteroid belt that they were now gradually coming out from, “I can do this and push asteroids out of the way because no one will notice. But if I do something with a thing as big and important like a star, Kunryun will hear about it for sure. In fact, I think if I did something simple like a take a moon out of its natural orbit, it won’t be hard for them to narrow down the list and found out who did it. I don’t want them to find and track me down.”

“Sehun did tell me that you were being hunted by the government of Kunryun,” Chanyeol chimed in, “I’ve been watchful for other Gaueans ever since then. I would hate for them to take you away too.”

Kyungsoo chuckled dryly, “You might think my powers make me cool but it’s a curse, Chanyeol. I have no say over it, but everyone on Kunryun keeps telling me what I must do, what I have to do, even though I never asked for any of this. That’s why I ran away. Its because I won’t do what they want me to.”

“What is it they wanted you to do that you didn’t want to?” Chanyeol callously questioned.

“You’ll find out,” Kyungsoo turned to look at Chanyeol, smiling but melancholically, almost as if the twinkling of the nebula in the distance were reflecting off on them from millions of light-years away within the dark flight deck on Umi.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

Chanyeol would find out why Kyungsoo left Kunryun, a few Anam months later, after a mission on the planet Bokun.

Bokun was a planet covered almost entirely by a deep, massive ocean. Only a few large rock formations existed above the sea level on Bokun, providing minimal land mass above water.

They had arrived during low tide on Bokun when more of these large rock formations gave them dry land to cover on. It was late afternoon on Bokun but very cloudy, making it appear to look later than it really was.

The Bokunians were notoriously known for chasing away outsiders onto their planet, as their planet’s policy was that of exclusion and no-contact with other civilizations. Although, this has led to pique the curiosity of numerous adventurers and researchers who found the sea-planet mysterious and exciting.

 

Their mission was simple. A research team who had gone to Bokun earlier on had left the sea-planet without bringing back their equipment and the findings of their research while there.

The research team had been chased away by the native Bokunians, who lived in the sea, and the trio’s help was needed to retrieve these pieces of equipment and items.

 

 

 

The mission was almost uneventful until towards the end.

Sehun had landed Umi on the ocean, beside the large flat rock, because there wasn’t enough ground to use as a runway on the planet.

 

With the coordinates given to them by the researchers, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo easily found the researcher’s abandoned base on the rock, which had been left virtually untouched even by the sea-dwelling people of Bokun.

After bagging and packing up the equipment, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo walked to the edge of the rock to drop off the items to Sehun who was waiting below on Umi at sea level.

 

Instead, they found out that Umi was now grounded and no longer on water. The waterline had also dropped further down; exposing more dry land of the large rocks they were on.

Sehun was on dry ground, about 20 meters below them and beside Umi, waving up towards them.

 

 

“I know it was low tide when we arrived but I didn’t expect the water to drop this fast,” Chanyeol took notice of as he dropped the last bag belonging to the researcher’s, which Sehun quickly caught.

“Well, Bokun’s moon is big and orbits very close to the planet so it causes drastic tidal changes,” Kyungsoo reasoned, carefully walking down the rocks to get to Umi below, with Chanyeol alongside him.

Chanyeol held Kyungsoo’s hand, helping Kyungsoo jump over a rock as they trekked their way back to Umi.

 

 

 

The trio boarded Umi and prepared for takeoff, although they wouldn’t be able to leave until the next high tide in several more hours. They needed to use the ocean as a runway.

Sehun was sitting on the pilot’s seat, tapping his fingers on the control panel as he boringly looked out the glass view, watching the star on Bokun set in the horizon.

Chanyeol was reading some charts and maps while they waited, slouching down in the co-pilot’s seat.

Kyungsoo was strapped in the technician’s seat behind them, checking up on the flight and equipment maintenance log.

 

“Oh no,” Sehun exclaimed, jolting up in his seat and looking very astonished.

“What?” Chanyeol chimed in, looking where Sehun was pointing at. Chanyeol’s mouth too dropped open and he too felt like jumping off his seat.

Kyungsoo too looked at the glass view ahead of them, to see that hundreds if not thousands of Bokunians were rising out of the ocean and fast approaching them on dry land.  That wasn’t a surprise considering the fact that their presence there wasn’t exactly welcomed.

 

“We have to go now,” Sehun ordered, starting the multiple engines on Umi and preparing for a takeoff.

“We can’t take off now, there’s not enough runway for us to escape the gravity. We’ll fight,” Chanyeol tried to suggest, almost ready to strap himself out of his seat.

“Chanyeol! There’s only three of us and there are billions more of them under the water,” Sehun scolded, almost yelling at Chanyeol, “Besides, this is a water planet. You’re not very effective here! What do you expect us to do? Wait a few more hours until its high tide!?”

“Then, do you want us to crash back down and die when we can’t escape the gravity because we lack acceleration?!” Chanyeol tried to argue back, “We can probably hold them out until high tide; I’m not saying we decimate their entire population of billions.”

“That’s nonsense. Why should we fight when we can run!?” Sehun snapped.

 

 

In the meantime, Kyungsoo had unstrapped himself from the technician’s seat and walked to the flight navigation panel and controls.

Kyungsoo stood in the gap between the pilot and co-pilot’s seat while Chanyeol and Sehun were still arguing at each other on what to do.

“High tide, huh?” Kyungsoo muttered to himself, looking at the moon in the darkening sky through the glass view.

Chanyeol went quiet as he anticipated what he thought Kyungsoo would do.

Sehun paused and looked at Kyungsoo standing beside him, “Kyungsoo, you don’t plan to-“

“Just prepare for takeoff. I’ll give you the high tide,” Kyungsoo instructed as the Bokun army rising from the sea was fast closing in on them from the horizon.

 

Hearing that, Chanyeol and Sehun hastily finalized the takeoff sequence and procedures. Umi’s engines were now ready to lift off and Sehun gave the go word when Kyungsoo reached his hand out towards the sky, towards the moon.

Kyungsoo gritted his teeth, as his eyebrows furrowed and his forehead crinkled. Kyungsoo was very visibly straining.

 

 

Chanyeol saw for himself with his own eyes, as the large moon grew even larger in the twilight sky, and the sea level rising until Umi was now floating on water with the high tide.

Kyungsoo was literally pulling the moon into a closer orbit towards Bokun, in order to increase the moon’s gravitational pull and force a high tide phenomenon.

 

“Now!” Sehun instructed, taking off the starship once they had the ocean in front of them as their entire runway.

Chanyeol looked behind, over his seat to see Kyungsoo passed out on the floor of the flight deck. Neither Chanyeol nor Sehun could tend to Kyungsoo now as they were still in takeoff and required manual navigation on the flight control.

 

 

 

 

Once they had left Bokun and orbited the planet for a gravitational assisted slingshot, sending them accelerating into space and on the course back to Anam, Sehun was able to put Umi on cruise mode and autopilot.

Chanyeol quickly left his post and picked up Kyungsoo from the floor of the starship, where he was still passed out and probably thrown around a bit because of the inertia.

 

Only then, Chanyeol was able to carry an unconscious Kyungsoo down to their sleeping quarters, laying Kyungsoo down on his own bunk.

Sehun later climbed down into the sleeping quarters below the flight deck to check up on Kyungsoo too, and leave some water for Kyungsoo when he woke up later.

Sehun assured Chanyeol that Kyungsoo would be alright and that it was normal to pass out after using his powers because his energy had to be expended in order to use it.

Sehun told Chanyeol to rest too, before returning up to the flight deck.

 

 

Heeding Sehun’s advice to get some rest, Chanyeol laid down on his bunk, opposite from Kyungsoo. Chanyeol had one foot down on the floor off the bunk as he stared up at the low roof in their sleeping quarters.

Chanyeol wasn’t planning on sleeping yet, he just wanted to lie down for a while.

Not long later, Chanyeol saw from the corner of his eye, Kyungsoo moving around and sitting up on his bunk.

 

“Kyungsoo!” Chanyeol exclaimed, sitting up once he saw Kyungsoo rubbing his head at the bunk across from him.

“Did we get out?” Kyungsoo groaned, seeing the water container on the small cabinet between the bunks and then grabbing it to get a drink.

“Yeah, we’re on the way back to Anam now,” Chanyeol confirmed.

Kyungsoo didn’t respond to that. He only closed his eyes and rubbed the sides of his head before laying back down on the bunk.

 

“You were great,” Chanyeol praised Kyungsoo, “You saved us.”

“You’re welcome,” Kyungsoo grunted, then complaining, “My head hurts so much.”

“Are you alright? Do you want me to get you anything?” Chanyeol expressed his concern, offering to help.

“I’m fine. It is supposed to hurt after I use my powers to that extent. That moon was heavy,” Kyungsoo assured, then confiding, “I’m going to feel terrible for a few hours after this too. It’s a normal side effect.”

“I’m sorry you have to go through all this, especially since you really saved Sehun and I back there,” Chanyeol asserted his gratitude towards Kyungsoo, as he sat at the edge of his bunk, facing Kyungsoo. “If you want, I can leave so you can rest in quiet.”

“No, you can stay,” Kyungsoo told Chanyeol, “-don’t you want to hear about why I really left Kunryun? I promised to tell you that, remember?”

“You’re going to tell me that now?” Chanyeol was a bit surprised.

“Yeah, why not?” Kyungsoo then revealed, “You know, that was the first time I’ve used this cursed powers to such an extent. I’m afraid that Kunryun will hear about what happened to Bokun’s moon and trace it back to me. So, if that is going to happen, I believe you should at least deserve to know why I’m being hunted by my own government.”

“-and why is that?” Chanyeol meekly asked, looking over at Kyungsoo. While Chanyeol really wanted to know the real reason, he was afraid that he would be overstepping some boundaries between himself and Kyungsoo.

 

 

Kyungsoo unrestrained himself to tell Chanyeol the truth, “…you see, unlike you Vuurians, male Gaueans can give birth too. That means Sehun and I can get pregnant and birth children. You know now that I come from a Gauean bloodline with these powers that are inheritable by blood.”

Kyungsoo informed, lifting a hand above his head as he stared at it before continuing, “-there aren’t many Gaueans left, and even fewer of us with this power. So, my government has instructed everyone with this power to breed and have as many children as possible. Because of this I, myself, have actually five other siblings from my father’s side who carries this power. That’s actually a lot for Gauean standards.”

Kyungsoo sighed as Chanyeol looked on.

After a pause, Kyungsoo then continued, lowering his hand and balling it up into a fist, “I was born and raised for the sole purpose of breeding and birthing children. I don’t mind having children of my own one day, but not like this and under these circumstances. When the government decided it was time for me to start having children, my mother arranged me to marry one of the strongest Gaueans so we would have the strongest children too. So, I ran away to Uncle Sehun because he was the only person I know that I could go to.”

 

 

Kyungsoo held back a tear that threatened to fall as he was forced to recall the unpleasant memory of having to leave Kunryun when he never wished to in the first place. Kyungsoo sat up on the bed, looking over at Chanyeol beside him.

“I did so much for them. I gave my life to Kunryun and I don’t expect anything in return but in the end, I am nothing but an objectified birthing tool for them. I feel so betrayed,” Kyungsoo almost cried, his voice choking.

“I’m sorry, Kyungsoo. I don’t know what to say to make you feel better,” Chanyeol was remorseful, feeling very bad for Kyungsoo. Chanyeol never expected Kyungsoo’s real reason for leaving Kunryun to be something like this at all.

 

 

Without being asked to, Chanyeol moved over from his bunk to sit down beside Kyungsoo on the latter’s bunk. Chanyeol sat close at Kyungsoo’s side, enough to bump their knees into each other.

Kyungsoo hung his head low, looking towards the floor instead, resting a hand on his thigh. Meanwhile, Chanyeol was looking towards a dejected looking Kyungsoo.

The low purring of Umi’s engines could be heard here near the bunks when they were being quiet. It wasn’t a bother at all and they had gotten used to being lulled to sleep by the low sounds of it.

 

“I see you, Kyungsoo, and I know Sehun does too,” Chanyeol broke the silence, resting his hand on Kyungsoo’s.

“Wha-“

“We see you, Kyungsoo. We see how strong, confident and capable you are. We know that you are more than whatever everyone on Kunryun wants you to be or do,” Chanyeol assured, interlacing his fingers into Kyungsoo’s.

“Thank you, I appreciate that,” Kyungsoo smiled, a little small and softly but already feeling a lot better.

 

Kyungsoo leaned his head to rest on Chanyeol’s shoulder, who patted the side of his head.

“So, what do we do when people from my planet manage to find me?” Kyungsoo asked, murmuring with the side of his face pressed against Chanyeol’s shoulder.

“We run away, the three of us are good at that, aren’t we? That’s how we all ended up here in the first place,” Chanyeol joked, also taking a self-deprecating jab towards himself at the same time.

“Yeah,” was all Kyungsoo answered, because he knew that they could not keep running away forever and would one day have to face whatever it is after them.  

 

 


	4. Bok Globule

 

Sehun, Chanyeol, and Kyungsoo were hired by the third shift mayor of Anam to find her young daughter who had run off from home after an argument. The third shift mayor did not wish to mobilize the Anam police force for the sake of it and was recommended by her assistant to hire Sehun’s team for the job.

It wasn’t that hard and in a few hours, they found the young girl hiding in an abandoned shop in a back-alley that served to trade rather questionable but legal items from other regions of the galaxy.

 

Sehun was glad to accept a mission that actually didn’t require fighting and for them to travel because starship fuel prices were on the rise due to an ongoing political crisis in the planets that produced this fuel. A lot of their pay from missions went to fuel, weapons, and maintenance but they were able to break even although the profit margin wasn’t that high.

 

 

 

After the mission, the third shift mayor of Anam paid for the trio to stay for a day in the penthouse suite at Anam’s exclusive business hotel.

Chanyeol was sitting out on the penthouse balcony made entirely of glass floor and railings. The hotel itself was one of the tallest buildings on Anam, so Chanyeol had the view of almost the entire bustling metropolitan skyline of Anam below and ahead of him.

If it weren’t for the fact that Anam was heavily polluted by light because of its eternal night, Chanyeol could probably see far enough to the bright side of Anam from the elevation he was on.

 

 

 

Chanyeol had pulled a chair to the balcony’s glass balustrade, where he sat; resting his head on the edge and one arm dangling off the balcony as he looked on at the view beneath him.

There was a lot to see and the wind blew cooler up there compared to at a lower elevation on Anam. Chanyeol didn’t care for that because he didn’t go along well with the cold but he did think that Kyungsoo might like that.

 

“You know, this is better than your shitty apartment,” Chanyeol commented, seeing Sehun walking to the edge of the balcony and standing beside him.

“My shitty apartment saved you from the streets,” Sehun retorted, taking no offense.

“Too bad we can’t afford places like this,” Chanyeol half-heartedly complained.

“Well, people like us don’t have much of a choice. We ran away from our homes. I don’t think it’s wise to envision a luxurious, comfortable lifestyle when we’re basically fleeing to escape a threat. You’re just setting yourself up for disappointment,” Sehun advised, tucking his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

“I know,” Chanyeol muttered, feeling the wind blow on his face and hair.

Right then, Kyungsoo who was actually standing around, butted into the conversation, “-when you say shitty apartment, you mean that you never even seen how the floor looked like until I arrived here. I don’t know how you two used to live like that.”

Chanyeol chuckled, “Yeah, we never really bothered to clean it up until you came here.”

“I’m a busy man, alright. Chanyeol spends the most time there and all he does is sleep around,” Sehun tried to shift the responsibility.

“-right,” Kyungsoo played along at the jabs they were taking at each other, “-you barely did any housework when we lived on Kunryun either.”

“Hmm…” Chanyeol hummed, asking out of curiosity, “How’s Kunryun like? I can barely find anything on Kunryun because there are very strict immigration laws there. It’s virtually impossible even to visit if you’re not a Gauean. I find it amazing that you two even managed to escape.”

“We all live on floating island cities. Because our population is so small, we consolidated all the settlements and everyone lives in one city now. The island is big and there’s not many of us so there’s lots of free space everywhere that we turned into parks. There are lots of trees and if you stand on some parts of the floating island, you can hear the great winds blowing and then you’ll know that you’re home,” Sehun replied, tinged with a sense of nostalgia.

“Oh, that’s why you Gaueans like the wind so much,” Chanyeol snickered, “-it’s probably sentimental to you.”

“Yeah, everyone has a job on Kunryun that the government assigns to you based on your power and abilities. No one is unemployed, homeless or goes hungry. But you’re allowed to fight someone in a higher position to get their title. If you win, you get it. If you lose, you die,” Kyungsoo further explained, “That’s why our population is only left with the strongest.”

“That sounded like a good system to use with a dwindling population, to be honest,” Chanyeol chimed in, “-but then you guys had to go all archaic with your power hungry traditions.”

“I agree,” Kyungsoo folded his arms across his chest as he too looked out at the view of the skyline near the edge of the balcony, “I bet the entire galaxy sees as us some violent, unstable race that is orchestrating our own demise. Not that I’m denying that that is what’s really happening.”

“You can’t change what’s in our blood. That’s why we left,” Sehun added.

“Well…if you want to know what we Vuurians think of Gaueans. We just think you guys are kind of mysterious, secluded and not really friendly to outsiders,” Chanyeol informed.

“-sounds a bit right,” Kyungsoo sighed.

“You two are good though,” Chanyeol made sure to say, lifting his head to look at Kyungsoo and Sehun standing beside where he was sitting.

“Yeah, and you make a good meat shield for us fragile Gaueans,” Sehun joked.

 

Chanyeol pouted, remembering when Sehun and now Kyungsoo had thrown him into things simply because they know he could take the hit.

Kyungsoo laughed.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

It was several Anam days later, in the later hours when it was a few more hours till their usual sleeping schedule.

Chanyeol was sitting on the couch watching the Anam news that always had something to report on 25 hours a day. Sehun and Kyungsoo were in the small kitchen, cutting and preparing food to put into the ration bags for their next mission.

The window beside the couch was left open as usual, although it was less windy around that time. It was probably the dry season on Anam but Chanyeol wasn’t sure.

 

 

It was then when Chanyeol felt the apartment building shaking slightly. The air around him also seemed to vibrate. It only lasted for less than a minute at most before everything came to a standstill like normal.

While seated on the couch, Chanyeol turned his head to look up to the ceiling, thinking that maybe their upstairs neighbors were responsible for it.

Sehun popped his head out of the kitchen, “What was that?”

“I don’t know, a moonquake maybe?” Chanyeol supposed, looking over the couch towards Sehun, where he saw Kyungsoo behind Sehun trying to see what was going on too.

“I don’t think so,” Sehun rebutted, “A moonquake on Anam that was strong enough to rattle the building would usually last up to an hour. That was too short.”

“It’s probably the mechanics living upstairs?” Kyungsoo tried to suggest.

“Maybe,” Sehun shrugged.

“You want me to tell them to keep it down?” Chanyeol offered, “I’ll go-“

 

“Shh,” Sehun immediately hushed Chanyeol to keep quiet. Sehun spoke in a whisper, “Turn off the TV.”

Chanyeol did as he was told while Kyungsoo was still holding a pot of soup that was to be frozen and turned into rations later on.

Sehun lightly tiptoed towards the main door, making sure all their five locks were in place like it was supposed to.

Sehun pressed his ear to the gap between the door and the frame, where he, sure enough, heard a few disembodied voices talking outside. It was the language in which they talked in that worried Sehun.

 

 

Upon hearing that, Sehun quickly turned to Kyungsoo and whispered something into his ear. Kyungsoo nodded, placed the pot down back on the table and rushed to his room to grab his sword.

“You and Kyungsoo have to leave now. Get Umi at the space dock and fly off to our hideout on Myolhada. Kyungsoo doesn’t know the way there so you have to go with him,” Sehun sternly told Chanyeol in a low voice, so as to stay quiet.

“What’s going on?” Chanyeol was surprised but managed to keep his voice low too.

“There’s Gaueans walking down the corridor looking for us. Our position is compromised,” Sehun warned.

“-but I thought we were supposed to be safe on Anam?” Chanyeol mentioned, shocked.

“It doesn’t look like that anymore. You two need to leave now!” Sehun ordered, pointing to the window.

“What about you?” Chanyeol asked, concerned for Sehun.

“I’ll buy you two time. They likely want Kyungsoo, not me. I can hold them off until you two get far enough,” Sehun briefed Chanyeol.

 

“Come on, Chanyeol, let’s go,” Kyungsoo tugged onto Chanyeol’s arm, leading him to the edge of the window.

Kyungsoo already had his cape on and his sword with him, but Chanyeol was still dressed in casual clothes he usually wore at home.

Sehun threw the keys to Umi at Chanyeol who caught it and then solemnly nodded back to Sehun who gave the both of them a thumb up.

“I’ll catch up,” Sehun waved off Chanyeol and Kyungsoo.

 

 

 

Kyungsoo held onto Chanyeol’s hand as they climbed over the edge of the window, looking down at a five floors fall down to the brightly-lit streets of Anam below. It was their only exit from the apartment to avoid the Gauean soldiers outside their door.

It was not windy that day. Chanyeol hesitated to take the plunge but Kyungsoo had not. Vuurians were not that swift or agile to jump off high places and survive, unlike a Gauean.

Even before he was ready and had braced himself for it, Chanyeol was sent falling down when Kyungsoo took the jump while holding onto his hand, bringing him down together.

 

Kyungsoo rolled and ended up on his back on the street below, much to the surprise of the street side vendor in front of where they had landed on.

Kyungsoo had used his own body to cushion Chanyeol’s fall, knowing that he was not that sturdy when it came to falling. It didn’t seem to hurt Kyungsoo, although he did make a splattering noise from his mouth when Chanyeol landed on his stomach.

“Sorry,” Chanyeol quickly apologized before getting up off from Kyungsoo and looking up at their apartment from below.

 

 

They weren’t able to see much from the street level but they were certainly taken by surprise to hear the loud explosive sound of their door being blasted open, and a resulting shockwave being visible from the window they had just jumped out from.

“Sehun!” Chanyeol exclaimed, worried for Sehun still in the apartment.

“He’s one of the strongest Gaueans. There are not many stronger than him. He’ll be fine. Let’s go,” Kyungsoo urged, pulling onto Chanyeol’s hand as they leaped into a sprint down the streets.

“Are you sure?” Chanyeol almost yelled as they were running down a dingy, minimally lit back-alley; one of the many that existed on Anam due to the massive and numerous buildings being built so close to each other.

 

Kyungsoo did not answer Chanyeol’s question this time, as they kept running through the constantly bustling streets of Anam that never slept.

Kyungsoo never looked back but Chanyeol often did so, making sure that no Gaueans were after them or maybe to see if Sehun had caught up to them.

Chanyeol trusted Sehun’s strength but he was very much scared off by the Gauean nature and tales of killing each other.

 

 

 

Sehun was an expert at running and hiding from the people who might come after him, which was why he bought the so-called “shitty apartment”. The apartment was the only affordable one that was close enough to the space dock where Umi was parked in, so they could escape fast and easy if needed.

Furthermore, the high rental for the parking on the space dock was one of the reasons why they never really made a big profit off of the missions they undertook.

 

In order to access the space dock, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo had to enter the space elevator tower station not far from their apartment.

The space elevator was a lift that transported people to the space dock at the top which was thousands of kilometers above ground level and floating in space at a low orbit.

The dock was built in space to park starships and large spaceships alike, in order to ease their takeoff without the need for a long runway and copious amount of fuel to reach a velocity enough to escape the gravitational pull on Anam.

 

 

Because Anam operated throughout the clock, the tower station was always full and packed with people going and coming back from Anam.

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo had to hold hands so they wouldn’t lose each other in the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, as they made their way to the boarding gates.

 

They scanned their ticket cards on one of the many holographic panels that allowed them to wait for the elevator in the boarding area.

When they arrived in the massive boarding hall among the hundreds of other people, Kyungsoo read the clocks on the wall to see that the elevator would be coming down in a few minutes.

The elevator was able to board a few thousand people at one time and took at least fifteen minutes either way to reach the space dock and the station on Anam.

 

 

 

Chanyeol quickly pushed through the crowd, pulling Kyungsoo by the hand so they could quickly board the next elevator that arrived. It was crucial for them to be as fast as possible.

Once they had boarded and strapped into their seats, the elevator lifted off into space towards the dock. Now that they had safely boarded and were on their way to the space dock with no Gauean in sight, they felt a bit more relieved although still worried for Sehun.

“I’m scared, Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo was slightly jittering.

“It’s okay, we got you. I’ll protect you,” Chanyeol assured, gripping tight onto Kyungsoo’s hands that he hadn’t let go of since then.

 

 

After arriving on the space dock, they had to make their way again through the massive port and through the crowds of people to access the specific hangar Umi was parked in.

This time, Chanyeol piloted Umi with Kyungsoo sitting on his usual seat. Chanyeol set their coordinate destination towards Myolhada and then requested to take off from the space dock authority.

They were cleared for takeoff and to make a gravitational assisted orbit after almost half an hour due to the busy space traffic.

 

 

At the last minutes before takeoff and before the hangar was opened and decompressed, Sehun came storming into the hangar and waving towards them from outside.

Sehun quickly boarded but there was no time to switch pilots, so Sehun had to take Kyungsoo’s usual technician seat.

 

“Our apartment is trashed by the way. I don’t think we’ll be going back there anytime soon. I barely got to escape them too but I made it somehow,” Sehun sighed, resting his head on his hand once they were already orbiting around Anam.

“Who came?” Kyungsoo asked without removing his attention from the flight controls.

“Your oldest brother and some men from his military unit,” Sehun dryly chuckled.

Chanyeol was focused on flying the starship but he was overhearing their conversation too and couldn’t help to interject, “Does your family run the whole military or what?”

“It’s a correlation because we’re all related to a certain degree on Kunryun because of our small population,” Kyungsoo had to explain, “Gaueans don’t intermarry with other races and we don’t really have a choice when everyone is probably your third cousin or something.”

Sehun laughed as he switched a few controls above him that controlled lighting, “Don’t tell me you didn’t tell Chanyeol about that?”

“No,” Kyungsoo grunted, rolling his eyes.

“-about what?” Chanyeol’s interest was piqued now that Umi was already in cruise mode and autopilot had been engaged.

“The person they wanted me to marry on Kunryun to have children with, was my own cousin from my father’s side who had these powers like me,” Kyungsoo had to admit.

“So you guys basically marry among each other? Alright,” Chanyeol accepted, withholding himself from commenting on such a topic because of sensitivities and how his position stands as an outsider who wasn’t well versed in their culture.

“-yeah, so the crazy continues to breed and run in our blood. I told you the powers curses us and if you dare to think differently, you’ll be ostracized and then killed,” Kyungsoo criticized, getting out of the co-pilot seat and heading down to the sleeping deck below the flight deck.

 

Kyungsoo wasn’t in the mood to keep talking about it and just wanted to be alone for a while. Chanyeol and Sehun shrugged at each other as they too switched seats to their usual positions.

Until then, it would take over seven Anam days before they reached Sehun’s hideout and secondary base on Myolhada.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

It wasn’t a surprise to have the Gaueans suddenly show up. In fact, it was very much expected since Kyungsoo brought Bokun’s moon out of its original orbit to save them while they were stuck during low tide on the sea-planet.

Since then, news had come out and spread throughout the galaxy, that Bokun had been experiencing vast changes in their low and high tides because of their moon suddenly being brought to a closer orbit to the planet.

The news was intriguing to the scientists and researchers who saw Bokun as an exciting place to learn about. On television, these scientists explained that only a very massive moonquake would be able to do such a thing.

But there was no massive moonquake recorded that caused the phenomenon, and the Gaueans soon picked up the news and believed that one of their own was responsible for it.

 

 

Eventually, the Gaueans were able to trace it down to Kyungsoo and Kunryun sure did land in a hot fire for what they did. When they brought their soldiers onto Anam for official business to extract Kyungsoo out of Anam, they were effectively breaking Anam’s policy that banned foreign powers from practicing and exerting their sovereignty on their grounds.

A Kunryun diplomat had to be sent to Anam to negotiate the breaking of the treaty and calm the situation. The meeting caused a news frenzy on the moon planet because it was the first time that Kunryun had sent an official to Anam, and it was most of the Anam’s population first time in seeing a living Gauean.

As an almost-extinct race that was known to be powerful, rumored to possess such powers and rarely left their planet; the Gaueans had gained an image to be rather brooding and mysterious, which piqued the public’s interest in them.

The people of Anam only knew the Gaueans as a bunch of strong warriors who spoke in a hard isolated language, liked wearing capes and wielded short-ranged bladed weapons. The entire galaxy was unaware of what really went on within their society.

Unbeknownst to them, two Gaueans named Kyungsoo and Sehun had been living on Anam right under their noses for a while until recently.

 

 

 

Now, the two Gaueans named Kyungsoo and Sehun, including their Vuurian companion were on the planet of Myolhada where they had to remain indefinitely.

Myolhada was a mostly desert planet with an arid and dry climate, located in the Western sector of the galaxy that was sparsely inhabited. A day on Myolhada lasted 22 hours and the planet had no known intelligible native species.

During the Third Galactic War three centuries ago, Myolhada was populated as a military base for one of the belligerents during the war. After the war, the military base became defunct and today, only less than 10,000 people remained on the planet.

 

Before Sehun even met Chanyeol, Sehun had already been acquainted with Myolhada when he used the planet to stop over during his travels.

Due to its isolation, Myolhada was the perfect outpost and Sehun had chosen for it to be his secondary and backup base should Anam become unsafe for them.

Sehun chose an apartment unit within an abandoned building, far from everyone else in the middle of the desert, as his base on Myolhada.

 

 

 

 

The trio had arrived five Myolhada days ago and had settled down with whatever they had on them at the time when they fled Anam.

It wasn’t too bad because Sehun still had a considerable amount of supplies on Myolhada, which he had been stocking for a while now.

 

Sehun had taken the levitating moped to travel to the next town to gather supplies, leaving Chanyeol and Kyungsoo in the abandoned apartment building that they had all to themselves, although, they only habited one particular unit.

 

 

 

Kyungsoo was on ground level on the sand below, outside the apartment. He was sweating heavily in the dry heat. He had a shirt wrapped around his head to keep out the harmful rays and was only wearing light clothing to keep himself cool while risking a radiation burn.

Kyungsoo had borrowed Chanyeol’s goggles too to keep out the sand while he worked.

There was a sandy wind that blew occasionally in the desert but it was dry, heavy and made it harder for Kyungsoo to breathe.

 

Sweating profusely and squinting under the bright rays from the star that Myolhada orbited, Kyungsoo continued working on the machine that he was trying to fix.

After a few days on Myolhada, the machine that was able to collect even the slightest water vapor from the dry air to turn into drinking water started to malfunction.

They were now running out of their last water reserves and Kyungsoo was fixing the machine, which turned out to just need a simple replacement of some parts which Sehun managed to salvage from some junk.

 

 

Chanyeol was standing and holding up the several meters long pole that collected the air, while Kyungsoo was screwing open a panel on it.

Unlike Kyungsoo, Chanyeol was hardly affected by the heat because it was in his nature to be heat-resistant.

 

Kyungsoo used a pair of pliers to cut some wires and remove an electronic panel so he could rewire and replace it.

Skillfully and meticulously, Kyungsoo soldered the wires to the new circuit while Chanyeol looked on, holding up the pole from falling.

“You’re good at this wiring stuff aren’t you?” Chanyeol complimented, “No wonder Sehun told you to help fix it.”

“Huh?” Kyungsoo scrunched his nose, looking up at Chanyeol as beads of sweat rolled off his forehead before returning to his task, “I told you I was training to become an engineer, didn’t I?”

“Oh yeah, I remember,” Chanyeol recalled, “-then you told me you became a military leader who replaced Sehun’s position.”

“You might as well not have any ambitions if you’re a Gauean. The government chooses what you should do. Becoming an engineer was what I wanted, but they thought I was a better fighter. Then they wanted me to become a birthing machine so yeah,” Kyungsoo nonchalantly explained, sifting through the wires.

“I know you think it’s a curse but I still think the powers makes you cool and unique. I don’t see it that way,” Chanyeol tried to make Kyungsoo feel better about the whole thing.

Kyungsoo laughed, as he continued soldering a wire in its place, “You’re too nice, Chanyeol. I feel like I’m doing you disfavor by being in your life.”

“Why do you say so?” Chanyeol tilted his head as he asked the question, not even sweating the least bit under the heat.

“-because someone like you doesn’t deserve to be around people like me. It’s in our blood to be violent. How do you think I’ve been able to survive this long on Kunryun without getting myself killed by those who challenge me?” Kyungsoo uttered, paying attention to the wires and panel in his hand.

“-but you are different. I-I like you!” Chanyeol confessed, almost stuttering his last sentence and very discreetly flexing his biceps while holding the pole up for Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo paused, then looked up at Chanyeol, laughing very softly, “Oh, really? Well, I like you too then.”

 

Chanyeol was overjoyed to hear that but he almost had to look away, to hide the fact that he was embarrassed and a bit shy, while Kyungsoo continued giggling about it while they worked.

 

 

 

Soon enough, the machine was up and running, collecting the dry air to convert into water in a storage tank below it.

Kyungsoo was lying on the ragged cemented floor of the vacant space that used to be the first floor of the apartment building. Chanyeol was also lying back on the floor, supporting his upper half up with his elbows.

All the rooms and walls had been torn down so they were just now left with a large sheltered open space near ground level with the desert. Only the pillars holding up the structure remained there.

The machine was visible outside, whirring as the pole spun collecting dry air.

 

 

Kyungsoo sighed, fanning himself with a hand, “I don’t like the heat. There are no deserts on Kunryun. I don’t know how Uncle Sehun gets used to this.”

Chanyeol reasoned, “At least there’s daylight here and you can see the star.”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo groaned, resting an arm on his forehead before remembering something he wanted to bring up, “- by the way, when we were approaching Myolhada, I was looking at the star map on Umi and it was showing the planets and stars within the Western sector of the galaxy. I saw your planet on it.”

“Oh, did you?” Chanyeol’s tone and mood instantly dropped at the same time, although he didn’t want to make that obvious.

“I saw Isioh too, the dying star you mentioned and some other star I forgot the name of,” Kyungsoo recollected.

“Well, my home planet is in the Western sector of the galaxy. I don’t think Myolhada is very far from it either,” Chanyeol told.

“I see. So when was the last time you were home anyway?” Kyungsoo questioned.

“I haven’t been home in three Vuurian years, and I don’t plan on going back anytime soon. I’m fine with the way things are,” Chanyeol claimed, despite the pang of yearning for his home, which he had buried deep inside his heart.

“That’s up to you, no one’s forcing you,” Kyungsoo turned over to lie on his side and facing away from Chanyeol, “I don’t feel so well. I’m going to take a nap first, wake me up when the water tank is full.”

“Alright,” Chanyeol heeded, looking at a resting Kyungsoo before turning to look out at the vast desert outside, while he tried to ignore the fact that he never got over having to leave Vuur.

 

 

 

In the Myolhada apartment, each of them had a room to themselves unlike on Anam. Later that night, after they had all gone to sleep, Chanyeol was startled and woken up when he heard a loud screaming sound coming from outside his room.

Alarmed, Chanyeol quickly rushed out of the room to see Sehun standing by the doorway of Kyungsoo’s room, looking rather scared if one might say. Sehun was holding a loop of ropes in his hand.

 

Chanyeol looked into Kyungsoo’s room, to see Kyungsoo screaming and writhing in pain on his bed. Kyungsoo was thrashing all over the bed, crying, clawing onto his skin and even pulling out his hair. Kyungsoo was screaming something in the Gauean language that Chanyeol understood to be, “It hurts.”

Chanyeol tried to approach Kyungsoo but was held back by Sehun.

“We need to restrain Kyungsoo before he hurts himself,” Sehun sounded almost in despair. “Help me hold him down.”

“Why?” Chanyeol was horrified to ask.

“I’ll explain later,” Sehun gritted his teeth.

 

 

Kyungsoo was sweating profusely and had to be stripped naked. Then, Chanyeol had to literally sit down on Kyungsoo’s chest, to stop Kyungsoo from flailing around while Sehun secured each of Kyungsoo’s limbs to tie down to the bedpost.

Once they had struggled with that, Sehun rushed to grab water from the machine’s tank to splash on Kyungsoo’s naked body whose skin felt like he was on fire.

Only then, Kyungsoo calmed down and stopped flailing around for a while, panting and heavy breathing as he was tied down on the bed, disorientated.

 

 

“What’s wrong?” Chanyeol worriedly asked Sehun, feeling like his heart had dropped to his stomach to see such a sight.

“He’s got the space fever. It’s a Gauean disease that happens to our people when we rapidly travel and leave planets. Because of our generations of inbreeding, we have weak immune systems so our bodies cannot adjust fast enough,” Sehun solemnly replied, pressing the back of his fingers to his mouth.

“That means you had it too once, didn’t you? Can you help him?” Chanyeol frantically questioned Sehun.

“I knew I would have it eventually so I stole the medicine for it from our dispensaries before I left. I used it all up and Kunryun is too far away. We can’t make it there in time and it’s not like they’ll welcome us if we go there,” Sehun confessed, pressing a hand to his head, “I should have known it would happen but I didn’t expect it to happen when we were so far out here.”

“Isn’t there anything we can do? He’s in pain!” Chanyeol insisted.

“He’s in psychosis right now. It’s a side effect of the illness. He won’t know what’s going on or who you even are,” Sehun explained before sighing, “The mortality rate is 50%.”

“So, Kyungsoo has a high chance of dying?” Chanyeol didn’t even wish he had to say.

Sehun lightly nodded his head, acknowledging the truth, “It’s my fault. I should have taken care of him. I don’t know what to do now. I can’t bring him back to Kunryun too.”

Chanyeol gasped, breath hitching in his chest when he suddenly remembered something he could do to help, “Let’s bring him back to Vuur! It’s only a day away on Umi from here. If we leave now, we’ll make it. My people are healers, we have lots of medicines and my mother is the leader of all the healers. I’m sure they have something for him too.”

“Can you bring him back to Vuur?” I-is it safe?” Sehun was still too surprised.

“It’s cool enough now to bring a Gauean there. We can make it. It’s our only chance, we can’t let Kyungsoo die,” Chanyeol tried to persuade Sehun.

“We’ll leave this instant,” Sehun stood up, walking to his room to get dressed as Chanyeol too hurriedly did the same.

 

 

 

Kyungsoo was wrapped in a wet blanket as Chanyeol carried him aboard Umi and strapped him to the bunker.

Sehun and Chanyeol flew off Myolhada and set their course for Vuur, whereby they powered up all of the starship’s engines to maximize its speed, even though it would certainly burn almost all their fuel up to the point of no return.

Sehun and Chanyeol took shifts to manually fly Umi so they could maximize the speed beyond what the autopilot limit was set to.

There was no time to be worried about rising fuel prices and engine maintenance later on when one of their teammates was verging on the brink of death.

As a result, they managed to shorten the one day trip by a few crucial hours.

 

 

 

Once they had entered high orbit above the giant planet of Vuur, Sehun returned to the flight deck after checking up on Kyungsoo one last time before landing.

Over the communication system, Chanyeol contacted the Vuurian space dock for permission to make port. Although all space docks throughout the galaxy operated on the lingua franca spoken by everyone, Chanyeol spoke in the Vuurian language that Sehun did not understand.

Chanyeol told Sehun that they were clear to dock on the Vuurian space dock, and Sehun decreased their orbit to enter low orbit.

 

Once they were approaching and Sehun was navigating to properly dock Umi, he looked out the glass view and asked Chanyeol, “This is a big hangar. It looks like it was for large battleships and cruisers. Are you sure we have permission to use this?”

“We do. I’m sorry, you’ll find out why later on,” Chanyeol looked intently ahead, not breaking his focus even for a second to land Umi.

 

 

 

Once they had landed Umi and the hangar was compressed with air and atmosphere, Chanyeol opened the cargo doors while Sehun went below deck to retrieve Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo was severely weakened and barely had the energy to even move a finger at this point. His breathing was slow, stuttered and his eyes were barely opened. Kyungsoo hadn’t even said anything since they left Myolhada.

 

 

In the hangar, Chanyeol was met face to face with the national Vuurian guard and his mother standing between them, already waiting for his arrival. Chanyeol had informed them of his arrival and needing help for a Gauean while they were in high orbit.

 

“Where is the Gauean needing help?” Chanyeol’s mother immediately asked, upon seeing her son for the first time in years.

“He’s here,” Sehun quickly rushed down, carrying Kyungsoo off from Umi.

 

 

The members of the Vuurian guard quickly pried Kyungsoo off of Sehun and onto a stretcher, which they immediately wheeled away.

Chanyeol’s mother looked at him one more time before following the guards who were taking Kyungsoo away.

 

The remaining guards, numbering about four of them, dropped to one knee and pressed a fist to their hearts, “Welcome home, Prince Chanyeol.”

“You’re a what!?” Sehun was surprised.

“I’ll explain to you, later on, I promise. I’m sorry I never told you or Kyungsoo about it,” Chanyeol profusely apologized, running off with the guards who had left with Kyungsoo.

 

Sehun was left in the hangar to lock up Umi, throwing up his hands in the air, left behind very worried and confused all at once.

 

 


	5. Protostar

 

“I still don’t get it?” Sehun folded his arms over his chest, leaning back on the chair made of stone in the grand apothecary hall of Vuur.

Chanyeol, sitting across from him on the large round table also made of rock, pressed his palms together in front of his face, “Please forgive me for not telling you the truth for so long.”

“Oh don’t get me wrong, I understand the part where you’re actually a prince on Vuur. I just don’t understand why you never told us. You ask Kyungsoo and me a lot of questions about Kunryun, and we answer you. So it was a bit surprising that you never wanted to tell us about yourself too,” Sehun iterated, crossing his legs on the chair he was sitting on.

“It’s not even important anyway,” Chanyeol tried to brush off, “There are twelve tribes on Vuur and each tribe’s leader takes the turn to become the King or Queen of Vuur through an electoral system. I won’t even be a Prince anyway after the 12 years rotation is over.”

“Your mother is the current Queen though and from what I heard, she will be the indefinite ruler of Vuur because of the current situation on your planet. It sounds like you’re going to be a Prince for a long time to come,” Sehun brought up.

Chanyeol admitted, “I was ashamed. You two are strong and I didn’t want to seem like someone who had everything handed to me just because of who I was born as. I didn’t want to seem like some spoiled, entitled child especially around you two who fought so hard for what you had.”

“If that’s who you are, we won’t judge. It’s not like you chose who you were born as and we understand that,” Sehun stated.

“I’m really sorry, Sehun. Will you forgive me?” Chanyeol pleaded.

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for. Just no more secrets, alright? We’re a team and it’s alright to tell us anything,” Sehun assured.

“Thank you so much, I promise I won’t keep any secrets anymore,” Chanyeol promised, looking rather genuinely apologetic too.

“Well, I’m not telling Kyungsoo that when he wakes up. You’ll have to do that yourself,” Sehun quickly shifted the responsibility to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol dryly chuckled, “Looks like I’ll have to then.”

 

 

Chanyeol and Sehun were then approached by Chanyeol’s mother, Youngmi, dressed in her long flowing white robe which was the standard uniform for apothecary and healers on Vuur.

After a grueling two days, Youngmi and her team of healers had worked tirelessly to concoct various medicines and remedies from their supplies in the apothecary hall.

Because no Gauean medicine existed on Vuur, they had to make their own and because Kyungsoo was suffering through several symptoms, several types of medicines had to be brewed to counter each and every symptom he had.

Now, Kyungsoo was already in stable condition and his fever had gone down, although he would still have to undergo follow-up treatment and continue to take the various types of medicine for a while.

Kyungsoo still hadn’t woken up since then, although Sehun and Chanyeol had visited him several times in the past two days.

 

 

From Youngmi and the other Vuurians whom Sehun had met while there, he learned that Vuurians were very polite and hospitable to guests. Vuurians were nice people in general or they were just nice to him because he was a friend of a prince, Sehun thought.

Youngmi politely asked to borrow Chanyeol for a bit. Before Chanyeol could even respond, his mother was already grabbing him on the arm and leading him out the hall to the balcony to talk.

Chanyeol told Sehun that he’d be back soon after he was done talking to his mother. Sehun nodded; there were not many places he could go to anyway except stay in indoors.

 

 

 

Night time on Vuur, felt like a really hot summer afternoon on Kunryun. During the day, Sehun felt like he was back on Myolhada again.

According to Chanyeol, it was even hotter than that before their star started dying and the planet began to cool down. Chanyeol did say that it was cooler in the Northern region of Vuur, where the temperature outside would actually suit a Gauean.

The Vuurians had built numerous special temperature-regulated buildings made of black lava rock, where the temperature was kept at a temperate level for outsiders who were visiting the planet. Because of that, Sehun only stayed indoors while he was around on Vuur and dressed as lightly as possible to keep cool.

 

Sehun waited and remained in the large apothecary hall, where all the healers dressed in their white robes bustled to and fro to concoct medicines, refer to their thick books and consulted with each other.

Rows and rows of shelves that extended from the high ceiling to the floor were filled with jars of plants, herbs, powders and liquids in numerous colors. In front of the shelves that covered almost every wall in the hall, were long tables where the healers would bring their ingredients to work on.

Any type of medicine to treat almost any ailment in the galaxy could be made here by the healers who were all well-studied and versed in the specialty. The Vuurians were really respected for their medical knowledge throughout Vuur and Sehun understood why now.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

Youngmi brought Chanyeol out to the balcony outside the apothecary hall, overlooking the courtyard of the healer center they were in.

All the buildings on Vuur were made of sturdy lava rock, usually the black rock variant. Although, the healer center was built with a white-colored rock to signify the healer’s official color.

 

Knowing that he’d probably be scolded, Chanyeol chose to look out the balcony and towards the bustling courtyard with healers scurrying to and fro about their duties, sometimes accompanying their patients with them. 

“Chanyeol, I really need to ask you about your two Gaueans friends,” Youngmi remarked, pushing back her long light-colored hair over her shoulder.

“I told you their names already. The taller one is Sehun and the sick one is Kyungsoo. Sehun is Kyungsoo’s uncle,” Chanyeol nonchalantly replied.

“I know their names and how they’re related, alright. I’ve managed to talk to them, even Kyungsoo. But that’s not my point,” Youngmi cleared up.

“Gaueans are alright, mom. They’re not dangerous- actually, they can be but they’re pretty cool people once you get to know them,” Chanyeol asserted.

“That’s not my point too, Chanyeol,” Youngmi stressed, looking irritated already, “Look, I’m happy that you’re happy working alongside them, with whatever mercenary job you say you’re doing with them. I’m also glad that you’ve been well and healthy over the past few years. But I must say, that I worry about something.

“-that they’re Gaueans?” Chanyeol assumed.

“Actually, Vuurians are on good terms with the Gaueans, Chanyeol. We have a trade agreement with them, and you would have known that if you were actually interested in politics and taking over the tribe’s leadership,” Youngmi then clarified, “What I worry about is Kyungsoo. Isn’t he the one that Kunryun is hunting for?”

“How do you know that?” Chanyeol was surprised.

“From Anam news of course. Everyone has been in a stir because of the Gaueans appearance on Anam recently,” Youngmi revealed.

Chanyeol gulped, “Yes, that’s the one they’re looking for. But I’m not handing Kyungsoo to them anytime soon. He’s my very good friend and I like him very much. We’ve saved each other butts a lot and I will fight anyone who tries to take him. I know Sehun feels the same way too so you'd have to go through the both of us for that. Did I tell you that Sehun was a very strong former military leader on Kunryun too?”

“Chanyeol, I’m not turning him in, alright?” Youngmi confided, “As a healer, I will not just hand over a sick and recovering person like that. If he’s your friend then he’s welcome to stay here but he’s still a foreign subject and I can’t protect him if Kunryun discovers he’s here. If Kunryun wants me to extradite him, I will have to do so.”

“It’ll be fine. We’ll leave once we’re done here. I’m not staying here, remember?” Chanyeol pledged.

“Very well,” Youngmi accepted, “Until then, I will hand you the responsibility for overseeing that Kyungsoo gets his medicines and follow-up treatments while on Vuur. I assure that you still remember what to do, don’t you?”

“Of course,” Chanyeol affirmed.

“Well, you should go see Kyungsoo now. He’ll be awake soon,” Youngmi notified, “Our star may be dying but Vuur hospitality is still far from that. Do you remember?”

“I understand,” Chanyeol nodded, obeying his mother’s reminder.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

Like he was responsible to do, Chanyeol visited Kyungsoo who had been sleeping in the largest room within the healer center. The room had been reserved for the important people of Vuur and Kyungsoo had managed to be there thanks to Chanyeol.

The room was spacious with so much empty space around. The floors were made of polished black-and-white smooth marble, which reflected the lights made of long glowing lava crystals affixed to the walls.

The room was cooled down to a temperature suitable for Kyungsoo, and the windows were all closed and draped with heavy black curtains to maintain the cooler temperature.

Although the frame of the four-poster bed was made of black rock, the thick mattress made up for its hard surface.

 

 

When Chanyeol arrived in the dark room illuminated by the glowing lava limps that had also been dimmed down, Kyungsoo was half-awake and moving around in the bed.

“Chanyeol is that you?” Kyungsoo groggily called out for Chanyeol, attempting to sit up on the bed.

“Yes, it’s me,” Chanyeol sat down on the edge of the large bed.

“Where am I? How long has it been?” Kyungsoo tiredly asked, still not fully awake and sweating in the clothes he was given to wear.

“You’re on my planet, Vuur. Sehun and I brought you here when you got sick. It’s been two days- three if you count the time it took for us to get to Vuur,” Chanyeol explained.

“So I really did get sick. I don’t really remember anything except feeling very terrible before bed after we fixed that water machine. I just thought it was the heat getting to me,” Kyungsoo sighed, then yawning, “Where’s Uncle Sehun anyway? How are the both of you?”

“I’m good; don’t worry about me. Sehun went back to the space dock to do some maintenance on Umi. Some of our mechanics are helping him do the maintenance. He’s doing well too,” Chanyeol answered.

“Okay then, that’s good to hear too,” Kyungsoo took a look around at the room he was in, seeing the Vuurian design, architecture, and features, “So I’m on Vuur, huh?”

“Yeah, you’re not fully recovered yet though. My mother says you need to dip in our springs for a few hours,” Chanyeol notified, “-our springs come from natural underground sources from rocks with healing properties. It’s so your fever doesn’t come back.”

“Alright. I’m just going wherever you go. I don’t really know much about this place,” Kyungsoo agreed.

 

 

Chanyeol helped Kyungsoo into his usual clothes and then led Kyungsoo down to the basement level of the healer center, where the springs were located.

Kyungsoo was still lethargic and walked slowly and sluggishly, following Chanyeol wherever he went so as to not end up getting lost.

Despite still being tired, Kyungsoo seemed interested in seeing the Vuurians and the building for the first time, as Chanyeol was leading the way to the basements. It was something new for Kyungsoo.

 

 

On their way there, they ran into Youngmi again. Kyungsoo seemed to vaguely remember Chanyeol’s mother as the woman he saw treating him while he was still drifting between consciousness.

Now, Kyungsoo knew that she was actually Chanyeol’s mother and the Queen of Vuur. It was then that Kyungsoo connected the dots and found out for himself that Chanyeol was a prince of the planet Vuur.

Youngmi expressed concern for Kyungsoo and asked him a lot of questions regarding how he felt and his wellbeing, before letting them go about on their way.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

In the large and spacious basement that seemed more like an underground cavern instead, several private rooms had been built where each of them held a stone tub with the spring water channeled into it.

Chanyeol talked to one of the attendants there who showed him and Kyungsoo to one of the empty private rooms.

Glowing lava crystals were affixed to the wall and even the hooks and handle to hold the towels and clothing were carved out of the stone walls.

Then, they were left alone in the room with just the stone tub in the middle of it, probably large enough for four or five people at the same time. The tub and the water level inside it was only about as high as Chanyeol’s waist.

 

 

“You have to take off all your clothes before you go in,” Chanyeol instructed, pulling his shirt off over his head and then hanging it on one of the hooks carved out on the wall.

“Okay,” Kyungsoo muttered, following suit but admittedly a bit abashed at having to do so in front of Chanyeol.

 

Chanyeol had his back turned to Kyungsoo and was now working on taking his pants off. Once Chanyeol was done with that too, he turned to face Kyungsoo in all of his naked glory.

Kyungsoo had stripped naked too but he still shyly held his clothes in front of his private parts, not wanting to let the clothing go yet.

Kyungsoo kept repeating in his head to not stare and seem too obvious about it, but his eyes couldn’t help but stray and appraise Chanyeol from head to toe.

They had been living and working alongside each other for more than half of a standard Anam year, but Kyungsoo had never seen Chanyeol naked. Kyungsoo knew how Chanyeol looked without a shirt on, but not without pants on.

 

Although Chanyeol and Sehun had seen Kyungsoo naked after they had to strip him while he was sick, Kyungsoo didn’t know that yet though.

Kyungsoo couldn’t help it but his eyes were glued to staring at Chanyeol’s crotch and the appendage hanging between his legs.

Kyungsoo didn’t even know why he was feeling embarrassed yet inquisitive at the same time. It wasn’t like this was the first time he saw another person naked.

 

 

“Is there anything wrong?” Chanyeol alerted, surely noticing how Kyungsoo was staring at him. Chanyeol was even beginning to worry something was wrong.

“What? Huh? Oh, it’s nothing,” Kyungsoo quickly removed his gaze from that to Chanyeol’s face, brushing it off.

“It’s not that different than yours, you know” Chanyeol snickered, taking light to the situation.

“H-How do you know that?” Kyungsoo looked down to his own penis that he still had covered with the clothing he held up in front of it.

“I’ve seen it. We had to remove all your clothing while you were in the fits of hysteria when you were sick,” Chanyeol answered.

“Oh,” Kyungsoo puffed his cheeks, trying to imagine the incident he couldn’t remember. Knowing that sure did relieve Kyungsoo a bit, that he didn’t really have anything to be embarrassed about.

 

Chanyeol grabbed the clothes Kyungsoo was using to hide behind, and then hung it up on the hook beside his own clothes.

Kyungsoo wanted to protest but he knew Chanyeol was just trying to help out there, and most likely didn’t mean him any harm at all.

 

 

Chanyeol dipped a hand into the steaming tub and stirred it around a bit, “It’s still too hot for you. The water comes directly underground near a magma tunnel. Let me cool it down for you first.”

Chanyeol climbed into the tub, displacing some water onto the ground as he did so. Kyungsoo stepped back, avoiding the spill of the near boiling water.

Chanyeol sat on a ledge built into the side of the tub for sitting down, submerging himself up to his chest in the water.

 

After a minute or so of just sitting in the water, Chanyeol spoke,” “Put your hand in. Let me know if it’s too hot or too cold for your liking.”

“Okay,” Kyungsoo complied, dipping just one finger into the water and feeling that it was nicely warm enough for him to push his entire wrist into the water, “It’s just nice.”

“Alright, come in then,” Chanyeol invited.

 

 

Kyungsoo climbed in and sat on a ledge in the tub on the far end from Chanyeol, although Chanyeol did invite him to come closer so they could talk.

Kyungsoo didn’t want to feel like he was snubbing his good friend, so he moved in closer and set about an arm’s length away from Chanyeol.

“How did you lower the temperature so fast?” Kyungsoo asked, cupping some of the water in his hand and using it to wash his face.

“I can absorb the heat with my body. That’s why I need to join you in here since the hot water from underground gets continuously pumped in, and I use my own body to cool it down for you. That heat is what I can use to produce fire. ” Chanyeol explained.

“Oh! I remember that,” Kyungsoo’s face lit up, “So your fire is supposed to be bigger here on Vuur, right?”

“Of course,” Chanyeol smugly replied, smiling, “I’ll make sure to show you before we leave.”

“I’m counting on it,” Kyungsoo teased, pushing back his wet hair. 

 

 

Chanyeol laughed and Kyungsoo laughed along too, at the inside joke they had been tossing around at each other since they first met.

Even after a while, Kyungsoo was still holding his face and laughing. At one point, Kyungsoo was laughing so hard he was slapping the surface of the water.

Chanyeol pouted playfully, “You still think it’s funny, huh?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo admitted, holding back his laughter, “Then I just remembered that you’re actually a prince of Vuur. It’s funny that you were so embarrassed to hide that fact from Uncle Sehun and me. Who knew you were a prince all this time.”

“It’s not that important anyway. I won’t be a prince forever,” Chanyeol sulked, sinking lower into the water, leaving only the part of his face from his nose up above the water.

“So I’ve heard,” Kyungsoo lightened up, feeling comfortable enough to move and sit next to Chanyeol in the tub.

 

“Yeah, we have like twelve tribes who takes a turn to be King or Queen in a 12-year cycle. But there are only eight tribes left on Vuur because the other four have relocated to another planet. The other seven tribes don’t want to elect their leader as the ruler because times are hard on a dying planet, so my mother had no choice but to step up to the position. That’s how I became the prince,” Chanyeol informed, sitting back straight up, leaning his back against the wall of the stone tub, sloshing warm water with his movements.

“Despite that, there’s still lots of your people left on this planet, aren’t there?” Kyungsoo turned to face Chanyeol, brushing their arms under the water against each other.

“If you want to compare our lowest ever recorded population now compared to Kunryun, yeah. There are at least over 100 million Vuurians here still,” Chanyeol replied, “These are the people who haven’t given up yet like my mother and our tribe. We still have scientists and researchers who are finding a way to bring life back to Isioh.”

“I see,” Kyungsoo took note, sinking into the warm water up to his lips.

“You don’t have to worry though. We still have over a hundred years left on this planet before it becomes uninhabitable for Vuurians. I’m sure my mom and her council will figure out something by then,” Chanyeol claimed, swinging a shoulder to relax it under the warm water.

“A hundred years, huh?” Kyungsoo mumbled, bubbling the water near his mouth when he spoke.

“Vuurians have life spans almost similar to you Gaueans, maybe a bit less. A hundred years shouldn’t be too bad for them to decide they have to leave too,” Chanyeol implied, “-which is why I can’t stay on Vuur for long. We’ll leave once you’re fully well.”

“Yeah, I have to remember to thank your mother before we leave for saving me. She’s a really nice person,” Kyungsoo pointed out, “-mine tried to kill me if I wouldn’t marry my cousin.”

“That’s contradicting isn’t it?” Chanyeol babbled, forgetting his cultural sensitivity reservations for a bit, “She wants the bloodline with the powers to continue, but at the same time she wants to kill you, the person with the powers, if you don’t listen to her. Isn’t that counter-productive?”

“Now you understand why our population is so low,” Kyungsoo huffed.

Chanyeol then sighed, scratching his head, “Speaking of mothers, I just remembered something my mother wants me to do. I have to go right after this.”

“What is it?” Kyungsoo questioned, moving his body around in the water.

Chanyeol splashed water over his face, wiping it away, “She wants me to collect some plants to make your follow-up medication. I am responsible to oversee your treatments and wellbeing while you’re here.”

“Oh, where do we get those plants? Can I come with you?” Kyungsoo requested.

“Of course, you can come. It’s in a lava pool in the cave basement of our research building. It’s not far from here. I might as well show you around while you’re here since it’s actually cool enough now,” Chanyeol suggested.

“I’d love that,” Kyungsoo smiled wide, excited at visiting and seeing more places on Chanyeol’s planet even in the last phases of its life.

“But first, we need to spend at least an hour in here,” Chanyeol pointed to the water surface.

Kyungsoo nodded, more than happy to oblige.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

After spending almost two hours in the natural spring water tub in the healer center, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol dried off and got dressed again before leaving for the research building; where Chanyeol had to run an errand.

It was mid-noon by the time they left the healer center and although it was supposed to be the brightest time of the day, the sky appeared grey and dusky as if it was almost sunset. Chanyeol pointed out that this was normal since the star, Isioh was slowly dying.

 

It felt very uncomfortably hot when Kyungsoo stepped out of the building but he was barely out in the heat for more than 30 seconds, before he stepped into the levitating cars that ran on magnetic roads.

It was similar to what people on Anam used, although more suited to the hot climate and provided an internal cooling system for non Vuurians like Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo learned that there were four massive cities on Vuur that everyone lived in, although the Northern city was mostly left uninhabited due to declining temperature levels. Magma and lava were used as a lot of energy resources on Vuur, and small controlled rivers of lava flowed throughout the city.

Despite the planet dying, the people of Vuur seemed to go about their lives as normal, all while pursuing the ultimate goal of reviving their dying star, and saving the birthplace of the Vuurian race.

 

 

 

Chanyeol parked the car in one of the revolving multi-story parking towers outside the research building. The research building was the headquarters for geologists and scientists on Vuur. Like almost all buildings on Vuur, it was made of the black rock the planet was famed for.

The skyscraper building was right in the middle of the city, with two twin towers linked by a sky bridge, which stood taller than all the other buildings in the vicinity, appearing to lance the sky with its structural design.

 

The inside of the building was also temperature-regulated because foreign researchers and scientists also worked in the building, and it was so to accommodate those not accustomed to the hot surface of Vuur.

The moment Chanyeol stepped into the elevator with Kyungsoo, the people in there immediately froze before bowing at him. Quickly, Chanyeol told them to be at ease because he wasn’t very fond of it.

Kyungsoo was trying hard to not burst into laughter.

 

Chanyeol pressed the button for the lowest floor, which was the cave beneath the ground under the building.

Soon it was just Chanyeol and Kyungsoo left alone in the elevator, as everyone was dropped off at their respective floors.

 

 

 

The elevator doors opened up on the cave floor and Chanyeol led Kyungsoo out of it, telling him to watch out for the uneven rocky surface.

“Wow,” Kyungsoo exclaimed, lifting his head up and around to see the vast lava cave he had stepped into.

The cave was massive, to say the least, and Kyungsoo couldn’t even look far enough to see the ceiling of it. The cave was taller than it was wider. A constant lava flow mimicking a waterfall dripped from the far end of the cave, which spilled into the sunken lava pool in the cave.

Tall black rock stalactites stood in the lava pool, glowing orange in the ambient.

 

They weren’t alone there. There were a few of the Vuurian researchers standing by the edge of the lava pool with clipboards in their hand, as a few others were waist deep in the lava talking to the ones standing on the ground.

When they noticed Chanyeol, they too bowed at him before Chanyeol told them to be at ease and return to their tasks.

 

 

Kyungsoo followed Chanyeol to the edge of the lava pool, standing a few meters just to be safe. It was sweltering to be there indeed, but it was actually less hot than what Kyungsoo had imagined it to be.

“Stay here,” Chanyeol ordered, stripping himself naked again and handing his clothes to Kyungsoo, “I need to the dive to the end to get the plants. I’ll be fast; if it gets too hot you can go back up into the building.”

“Alright,” Kyungsoo complied, holding onto Chanyeol’s clothes, “What plants are those anyway?”

“It’s a thermophilic medicinal plant that only grows at the bottom of underground lava pools,” Chanyeol answered, stepping into the lava pool that was only waist high near the edge.

 

 

Chanyeol walked further down the lava pool, where the lava was deeper until a point where the lava reached up to his chest before diving into it, fully submerging beneath the surface.

Kyungsoo took more steps back to distance himself from the edge of the lava pool, not wanting to accidentally burn himself because he wasn’t a Vuurian like Chanyeol.

 

Kyungsoo sat on the slightly coarse black rock surface and folded Chanyeol’s clothes, while he started to wonder if Vuurians could actually breathe lava because Chanyeol had been down there for quite a while now.

Kyungsoo observed the Vuurian researchers who were also diving into the lava pool and bringing items like small rocks out of it, and they seemed to submerge for quite a while of time too.

 

 

Kyungsoo began sweating fast but it was still tolerable. Just when Kyungsoo decided that he should probably wait inside, he was startled when Chanyeol suddenly emerged from the edge of the pool with a splash and then climbed back onto the surface.

Chanyeol slicked his hair back, that appeared to be wet and Kyungsoo learned that lava was probably like water to Vuurians. Then, Chanyeol climbed out of the lava pool and strode naked over to Kyungsoo with a bunch of seaweed looking plants in his fist.

 

Kyungsoo was still sitting cross-legged on the cave floor with the pile of Chanyeol’s folded clothes to his side, as he tilted his head up to look at a naked and very buff Chanyeol standing right in front of his face.

At that point, Kyungsoo wasn’t sure which was hotter; the lava cave or the Vuurian standing buck naked in front of him, with steam radiating off his skin.

Kyungsoo realized he was staring again and quickly handed Chanyeol’s clothes back, turning his head away to look to the rocky surface instead.

 

 

“Sorry. I took longer than I expected to. The plants were stuck under this rock and I had to pull it out without destroying it because the leaves and roots are essential to make the medicine,” Chanyeol apologized as he put his clothes back on again, “Is it getting too hot for you?”

Kyungsoo scrambled to his feet, “It’s alright. I can still take the heat.”

“That’s a relief,” Chanyeol smiled.

“Yeah, I’m probably not as hot as you though,” Kyungsoo whistled.

“What?” Chanyeol was taken by surprise.

“I said you were hot,” Kyungsoo reiterated.

“I’m fine actually. The lava here is actually cooler than normal lava. It is hot for you, but it’s nothing for me,” Chanyeol assured.

“I didn’t mean that kind of hot,” Kyungsoo looked away; more embarrassed at the fact that Chanyeol didn’t quite get his compliment.

Chanyeol took a while before he understood what Kyungsoo was trying to get at. Chanyeol nodded, going “Oh!” and then grinning mischievously, “I can show you ‘hot’ if you want to.”

“What?” Kyungsoo was the one who was taken by surprise now.

 

 

After Chanyeol was fully dressed again, he carefully led Kyungsoo to the edge of the lava pool again.

Chanyeol squatted on the floor near the edge, and Kyungsoo joined him, although Chanyeol made sure that Kyungsoo didn’t get as close to the edge like he was.

“Here, hold my hand,” Chanyeol instructed, holding out his left hand to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo joined his hand with Chanyeol’s.

Once they were holding hands, Chanyeol grabbed onto Kyungsoo’s hand tight as he warned, “Don’t let go.”

Kyungsoo nodded, “Okay.”

 

While holding onto Kyungsoo’s hand, Chanyeol dipped the tip of Kyungsoo’s pinky finger into the lava pool.

Kyungsoo was expecting to be burnt and almost flinched to remove his hand immediately when he realized that the lava was just nicely warm, dense and enveloping.

Kyungsoo chuckled in amazement, “It feels like…honey, I think? Do you know what that is? How is the lava not hot at all though? Are you taking the heat away from me too?”

“I know what honey is,” Chanyeol confirmed, “-and yes, I’m channeling the heat from your skin to mine so you won’t get burnt from the temperature. Don’t let go.”

“Wow, you can do that with lava too?” Kyungsoo uttered.

“Every Vuurian can,” Chanyeol brushed off, not really seeing anything special out of it as he removed Kyungsoo’s hand out of the lava pool.

 

 

The moment Kyungsoo’s hand was free again, Kyungsoo reached out to touch Chanyeol’s earlobe as he giggled to himself.

Chanyeol was squeamish at the sudden touch, and he couldn’t help but flinch away despite actually liking how it felt.

“You really like my ears, don’t you?” Chanyeol tried not to laugh.

“You’re warm!” Kyungsoo exclaimed, “Usually when I touch your ears, it’s cold. But it’s warm now.”

“That’s because I’m home,” Chanyeol replied.

Kyungsoo sighed, pulling his hand away, “Home is the best indeed. Too bad you can’t stay here too long and I can’t return home either.”

“We can’t do everything, we can only try our best,” Chanyeol reasoned.

 

While Chanyeol was merely accepting the fate of his doomed planet, Kyungsoo held onto Chanyeol’s words close to his heart, realizing that he still hadn’t tried his best yet to fix the situation he probably had control over.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

After leaving the cave, Chanyeol had gotten a crystal container to put the plant in before transporting it back to his mother at the healer center.

Then, Chanyeol decided to bring Kyungsoo somewhere else in the research building before they left.

Kyungsoo may have been on Vuur for medical purposes, but Chanyeol was bent on making sure Kyungsoo actually got to see around and experience Vuurian hospitality firsthand.

 

In one of the floors in the research building, was a planetarium that was open regularly to the public and had regular showcases conducted by the astronomers and physicists that worked there.

Thanks to being the only son of the Queen of Vuur, Chanyeol had managed to book the planetarium for just himself and Kyungsoo in one of the afternoon slots.

Chanyeol had invited Sehun to come along, but Sehun was still in the space dock, excited at getting to test-fly one of Vuur’s new massive transport starships. Vuur’s space navy admiral was more than happy to let Sehun try it, because of Sehun’s connection to Chanyeol. Sehun was quite enjoying his trip to Vuur himself.

 

 

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo had the front-row seats in the planetarium’s circular auditorium, which was occupied by just them and no one else.

Chanyeol pressed a button on the remote as the auditorium was darkened.  The projector began to project lights onto the dome-shaped roof above them, showing the stars, moons planets, systems, clusters within their galaxy and the observable universe. In the center of the auditorium, the holographic image of the planet Vuur and its solar system appeared.

An automated recorded voice over the speaker began to give a brief history of the star, Isioh, the planet, Vuur, and how life on Vuur began millions of years ago.

 

 

Chanyeol knew this. He was a Vuurian so he knew it all too well. The planetarium show was more geared towards tourists and school students.

While Kyungsoo paid focus and full attention to the show, which shifted to explaining some of the significant events in their universe and in other parts of the galaxy; Chanyeol couldn’t help but find himself staring at something else more interesting, which was Kyungsoo instead.

 

In the dark planetarium, illuminated by the soft twinkling lights mimicking stars and planets, Chanyeol realized how ethereally beautiful Kyungsoo was with the lights reflecting off of his face and skin, sparkling in his dark eyes.

It hit Chanyeol like the usual sudden volcano eruptions which were bountiful on Vuur; that he was falling in love with Kyungsoo.

 

 

Chanyeol was about to confess right there and then when Kyungsoo suddenly grabbed his arm.

“Pause the show!” Kyungsoo told Chanyeol, staring straight into his eyes under the projected star lights on them.

Chanyeol scrambled to find the remote and pause the show as he was asked to do.

“What’s wrong?” Chanyeol asked, confused as Kyungsoo leaped out of his seat.

 

Kyungsoo walked to the center of the auditorium where the holographic image of Vuur and the Isioh star system were projected.

Chanyeol followed suit, standing in front of the glowing holographic images of the planets and stars.

“This star, Ozef,” Kyungsoo pointed to a star not far from Isioh, “There are no habitable planets in this zone, correct? So this star is not supporting any life. I saw this star on the star map when we were approaching Myolhada.”

“What about it?” Chanyeol looked to where Kyungsoo was pointing, still wildly confused.

“I have an idea,” Kyungsoo held Chanyeol’s hand, clutching it between two of his; “I can try to channel energy from Ozef into Isioh to give a blast strong enough to revive Isioh, and give it a few more million years of life. Ozef will die but there are no habitable zones in that area anyway. I can do it. I can save your planet, your star, and your people.”

“Kyungsoo, no,” Chanyeol tried to refuse, “I can’t compromise you like that. If you do something that astronomical of a level, Kunryun will know what you did and who did it for sure. In fact, the whole galaxy will be talking about a dying star being brought back to life. I can’t put you in that kind of danger.”

“-but I want to help you,” Kyungsoo sounded like he was almost pleading, “I want to help the hundreds of millions of Vuurians who are going to lose their home. I can’t let that happen, not when I know that I have the power to fix it. You yourself said that we are just doing our best.”

“It’s dangerous, Kyungsoo. Killing a star to bring another to life is dangerous. I can’t let you be harmed. You don’t owe us anything, Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol was exasperated, anxious and beyond worried.

 

 

With the hand that wasn’t being held onto by Kyungsoo, Chanyeol caressed Kyungsoo’s cheek softly under the glowing lights, “You don’t have to do it. There’s nothing in it for you and you have everything to lose if you do it.”

“That’s wrong,” Kyungsoo corrected, “If I can save your home that you love so much, then that is enough for me.”

Chanyeol chuckled dryly, pressing his forehead against Kyungsoo’s, “Why couldn’t you just be cold and merciless like other people say the Gaueans are supposed to be? It would make it so much easier for me to say no.”

“So you’re letting me tell your mother that I have a plan to save your planet?” Kyungsoo smiled, almost as bright as the twinkling lights representing stars, reflecting on his face.

“I don’t know how to say no. I just wish I could so you will be safe though. I don’t know why you’re so adamant for something that is just going to trouble you without any rewards,” Chanyeol worried, closing his eyes as his face was so close to Kyungsoo’s.

“-Maybe it’s because I’ve fallen in love you and to see you happy by saving your home is the only reward I seek?” Kyungsoo confessed, “On Kunryun, I was told to do this and that without a say in it but now I do and this is it. That's why I have to do this.”

“I wanted to say that first,” Chanyeol grinned softly against Kyungsoo’s cheek.

“-say what?”

“That I love you too,” Chanyeol admitted, closing his eyes and leaning in to kiss Kyungsoo.

 

Kyungsoo parted his lips, accepting Chanyeol’s lips between his. Kyungsoo swore that Chanyeol could have been crying at the same time but he couldn’t tell. Kyungsoo just knew that Chanyeol was as warm as the welcome he had gotten while on the planet he was trying to save.

“So, that’s a yes? Then I’m telling your mother about my plan,” Kyungsoo said the moment they broke away from the kiss.

“Yes, but we’re going to do it together. I’m not letting you go alone.” Chanyeol sighed.

 

 


	6. Binary star

 

  

The very same day, Kyungsoo met Chanyeol’s mother again to tell her of his plan to revive his dying star.

As almost everyone’s response to discovering that the supposed legend of some individuals being able to control celestial bodies happened to be true, Youngmi was at first surprised then suddenly felt a lot more hopeful for their fate.

It also helped that Chanyeol really vetted for Kyungsoo in the latter’s ability to help them out.

 

Almost instantly, Youngmi arranged for a meeting with the other Vuurian tribe leaders, as well the head of the scientists in charge of trying to revive their dying star.

The meeting was held within the official residence for the elected royal family of Vuur, which was attended by all the leaders of Vuur, the scientists and of course Chanyeol, Kyungsoo and Sehun.

When Youngmi introduced Kyungsoo as a Gauean, everyone remained calm but when Youngmi informed them that Kyungsoo could revive their dying star, everyone began gasping and talking to each other either in disbelief or shock.

At this point, Kyungsoo was used to the reactions people got from knowing his powers.

 

 

 

 

Everyone was gathered around the large oval black rock table in one of the meeting rooms, with a holographic image projection on the table to brief the attendees about the plan and the current situation.

While Kyungsoo was talking to the scientists and tribe leaders about his plan and how it would be carried out, Sehun was still sitting around the table beside Chanyeol with his mouth hung open. Sehun was hardly surprised at what Kyungsoo wanted to do. Instead, he was much surprised at something else instead. 

 

“W-what? You’re not serious, are you?” Sehun uttered in disbelief, keeping his voice low to not distract the more important conversation everyone else was having.

“I am serious. I’m not joking. I really love Kyungsoo and he feels the same way about me too,” Chanyeol had to repeat.

“Y-you’re dating my nephew!?” Sehun almost had to hold himself still to avoid falling off the chair.

“Yeah, we’re together now,” Chanyeol reiterated.

“Whoa,” Sehun held his head between his hands, feeling dizzy at the whole revelation, “Don’t get me wrong. I have no problems with that at all. I just didn’t expect you to get together- like together. I think you get what I mean.”

“I get what you mean,” Chanyeol affirmed, “I didn’t plan for it either. It just happened, and when I realized it, I’m already falling in love with Kyungsoo.”

Sehun rested a hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder, leaning in to whisper, “Are you sure you want to be with a Gauean though? I don’t think I need to tell you what the implications are. You know it well by now. I fully support your relationship but you should know what you’re getting into.”

“I know,” Chanyeol understood, “-but I’m still willing to try.”

Sehun looked towards Kyungsoo who was busy discussing the plan with the leaders of Vuur, and then back at Chanyeol, “That’s good then. I just don’t want anyone getting hurt. It’s not going to be easy especially because Kyungsoo is now trying to revive your dying star. I’m already starting to anticipate what Kunryun will do next, to be honest.”

“We’ll see. I know I can’t compare but I’ll still do everything in power to help too,” Chanyeol promised.

 

 

At the same time, Kyungsoo was explaining his plans, as he scrolled through and changed the views of the holographic display of the Isioh star system projected on the table.

“You see, Isioh is a K-type main-sequence star also known as a red dwarf,” Kyungsoo explained, “When a star this size has used up all of its hydrogen for fusion, it just dies by cooling off. It doesn’t expand into a giant or explodes in a supernova. So it’s actually very stable, which is why I believe this will work and not end in a catastrophe. If Isioh was a bigger star, it wouldn’t have been possible.”

“So you want to pull the star Ozef close enough to orbit around Isioh, and then let Isioh absorb Ozef like in a binary star system,” A Vuurian scientist pointed out, scribbling some notes down.

“Yes! This happens a lot in binary star systems, where the smaller star is absorbed by the larger star. The donor star will provide more hydrogen through the absorption of the core, giving the star an extension to its life. I’m just basically going to move Ozef near to Isioh and let nature do its job,” Kyungsoo informed.

“That’s still too risky,” The same Vuurian scientist corrected, “-because not all binary star mergers end well. There’s still a risk for a supernova explosion even with two dwarf stars, which might annihilate all life in this star zone.”

“I can do something else then,” Kyungsoo planned, “I can channel energy from the stars instead. I can channel energy from Ozef into Isioh. The energy is in the form of light so it can basically be done at the speed of light. That way, Ozef stays in its original orbit and coordinates.”

“He can do that!?” A male Vuurian tribe leader blurted out by accident, which everyone overheard but dismissed.

“So, do we need to get you close enough to the star to do it?” Youngmi questioned, with a hand on her hip.

“Not really. I can do it from Vuur but I need to be able to see both of the stars where I’m at. I cannot control what I cannot see. Stars are bright so it’s easier to discern them in the sky,” Kyungsoo answered.

“-when Isioh is restarted and given this ‘life extension’ you speak of, then what happens to the star, Ozef?” A female tribe leader questioned.

“Ozef will die. It will turn into a white dwarf star that doesn’t undergo any more fusion. But there’s no life in the Ozef star system anyway, so it’s alright,” Kyungsoo responded.

“Then what happens when your planet, Kunryun, hears about this? You said you’re doing this without them knowing about it. Everyone will hear about Ozef being ‘killed’ to revive Isioh. News in the galaxy travels fast,” The same female tribe leader from earlier continued to ask Kyungsoo, seemingly apprehensive this time.

Before Kyungsoo could answer and Chanyeol was even trying to interject, a bald male tribe leader spoke up, “What actually bothers me the most is that Kunryun knows and has continued relations with us Vuurians for thousands of years. They know about our situation and they surely know they have individuals who could have helped us with this a long time ago. But they never said anything about it. How do we know we can trust you Gaueans?”

“You have my word that Kyungsoo can be trusted to oversee this,” Youngmi asserted. 

“Your Majesty, the Gaueans kill their own. What makes you think they actually want to help us and not expect anything in return? That itself already reeks of suspicion. It’s too good to be true,” Another tribe leader brought up.

“That’s right, he has a point,” More tribe leaders began to agree.

 

 

While Youngmi, the scientists and a few of the tribe leaders seemed to support Kyungsoo and his plan; several other tribe leaders seemed to doubt and suspect Kyungsoo’s intentions.

Kyungsoo wasn’t surprised. Like he was used to people’s reactions to knowing his power, he was also used to the prejudice Gaueans faced from other races because of their violent nature.

The meeting hall soon turned into an argument and a shouting match between the two sides. Youngmi, Chanyeol’s mother, was adamant on falling through with the plan but a few of the tribe leaders seemed to be against it and wanted Kyungsoo captured.

 

While Kunryun politics were more of backhanded insults, metaphors and snide being softly spoken to each other, Vuurian politics were more of a blown out fistfight that got too rowdy.

Chanyeol quickly pulled Kyungsoo away as they stood together with Sehun behind some of the Vuurian guards assigned to the royal family.

Several tribe leaders had also summoned their own personal guards into the meeting room, adding to the chaos that it already was.

Somehow in the midst of fighting each other, they seemed to forget that Kyungsoo was standing just right there.

 

 

In the midst of the brawl, Youngmi made her way to three of them while flanked and securely guarded by her own guards.

Youngmi firmly instructed Chanyeol over all the shouting and the growling, “Take Kyungsoo up to the peak on the Northern city. There’s an observatory there where he can see both stars clearly. Just go now and do it as soon you can. There’s no way this will ever be solved until Kyungsoo can show what he can really do.”

“I will,” Chanyeol complied, holding tight onto Kyungsoo’s hand.

Kyungsoo understood what was being said and nodded, clinging onto Chanyeol’s hand.

“Good, now go and good luck. Leave before they try to capture you,” Youngmi mentioned before turning to Sehun, “I heard about you, you’re a famous mercenary. I will hire you to stop this fight and keep the opposing tribes away from my son and Kyungsoo until they can carry out their tasks.”

“I’ll do anything as long as I get paid,” Sehun was happy to oblige.

 

Sehun rolled up his sleeves to his elbow, ducking to avoid a chair that was thrown around, before standing back and facing Chanyeol, “I’m going to go stop this fight now. You two better hurry and save this dying star.”

“We’ll be back,” Kyungsoo told Sehun, “-take care.”

“I’ll be fine,” Sehun assured, “Chanyeol, you better not get hurt or let Kyungsoo get hurt. The next time I see you, this star thing better be alive too.”

“I will,” Chanyeol promised with a smile, pulling Kyungsoo away as they pushed and shoved through the crowd while a few of the royal guards helped them to leave and in their escape.

Even over the riot taking place inside the hall, they could still hear Sehun’s maniacal laugh echoing through the hallways outside as he jumped into the fight to carry out his task of actually trying to stop it.

 

 

 

Kyungsoo was feeling better but he wasn’t fully recovered yet. All the running he was doing right now with Chanyeol tired him out faster than usual.

During their sprint, making their way out of the palace and to the car waiting for them outside, Kyungsoo found himself out of breath and stopping to catch his breath.

There really wasn’t any time to be stopping right now though; not when some of the guards from the opposing tribes realized that they had been trying to run away and were now on their trail.

The guards assigned to the royal family who were directly serving Chanyeol sure did serve as the distraction and helped to stall those after them.

 

After some encouragement from Chanyeol, Kyungsoo was able to complete his escape and exited out one of the many doors in the building where a car was parked and waiting outside for them.

Kyungsoo quickly got in the car and onto the front passenger seat, as Chanyeol told him to do.

“I’ll go alone, don’t follow me. Make sure you stop them,” Chanyeol ordered to the guards waiting outside there for them, before jumping into the driver’s seat of the car.

 

 

 

Chanyeol drove the levitating cars out of the palace grounds, onto the magnetic roads outside and into the bustling city under the cloudy grey sky that used to shine bright a while ago.

They were seemingly safe and not being chased by anyone now. Chanyeol seemed a bit more relaxed and Kyungsoo had been calm all along. He wasn’t the type to panic even in tense situations; he just was a bit tired.

 

“We’re going far up to the Northern city. The observatory is on a mountain there,” Chanyeol announced as he drove down the busy roads past the other cars zipping near them, “It’s winter there right now and it’s quite cold. There are some ponchos for us in the back though if you get cold. I think it should be tolerable for you though.”

Kyungsoo looked over his seat to the rear seats to see his sword and the ponchos as mentioned, folded and piled onto each other.

“You have my sword too,” Kyungsoo noted, turning back to face the front.

“-just in case,” Chanyeol replied, having come prepared, “We should be secure for now though. They will find out where we’re headed to given some time. It doesn’t matter as long as we get there first and you can do your thing.”

 

Kyungsoo nodded in understanding, going quiet for a while as he pondered on a thought. It was a few more minutes before Kyungsoo spoke up again, while Chanyeol was driving them to the Northern city.

“Hey, I’m sorry for what I caused back there. They were fighting and got into a disagreement because of me,” Kyungsoo apologized, feeling responsible for the skirmish between the tribes.

“It happens a lot, trust me. The tribes keep fighting and then the next day, we’re making up and friends with each other again. It’s a Vuurian thing. It’s not your fault. Even if it wasn’t you, they would just fight about something else,” Chanyeol made light of.

“I see,” Kyungsoo was slightly relieved, even if just a little.

“You should get some rest while you can. You’re not that well yet and you’ll need lots of your energy for the star thing if I’m right,” Chanyeol advised.

“I suppose I should. How much longer until we arrive in this Northern City?” Kyungsoo turned to look at Chanyeol sitting to his side on the driver’s seat.

“It’s a six hours drive each way on the magnetic rail-highway. We could get there faster on a starship but it’s too conspicuous since we’re trying to stay low. It should still be night time when we arrive so you can see the stars. That’s why you should get some rest until then,” Chanyeol reminded, with both of his hands on the steering.

“-but what about you?” Kyungsoo was worried about Chanyeol who seemed to look tired himself too.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll engage the auto drive once we’re on the highway road since it’s just straight on from there. I just need to make sure we’re not being followed first,” Chanyeol reasoned.

“Alright then,” Kyungsoo accepted.

 

 

Kyungsoo reclined his seat, leaned his head against the tinted glass windows and folded his arms across his chest as he tried to get some sleep before they arrived in the Northern city on Vuur.

Kyungsoo was looking out at the grey sky above and the empty highway roads, which levitated above the lava and rock covered surface outside the city limits. There was hardly any greenery anywhere on Vuur, just earthy colors of rock and the molten lava flow.

The further they drove, the darker and cloudier the skies got. The ground below the levitating highway high above the surface was just a vast plain of dark-colored solidified lava rock that had cooled down and no longer flowed.

There were more cars going the other way than there were cars going down the same way as them. It was because the roads lead north, where hardly any Vuurians remained

 

After that, Kyungsoo fell asleep and Chanyeol never engaged the auto drive like he said he would do. Chanyeol didn’t feel like it was still safe yet to do so and chose to manually drive the car in case they had to suddenly change course.

Chanyeol looked over at Kyungsoo, sleeping soundly and breathing calmly in the passenger seat with his head against the window pane.

Kyungsoo was safe and Chanyeol found comfort in that fact. While Chanyeol knew that Kyungsoo was perfectly capable of protecting himself and his own wellbeing, it still didn’t stop Chanyeol from being overly concerned over Kyungsoo since the day they met and were pushing doors against each other.

 

 

It was all still very surreal for Chanyeol. He had planned to never return to Vuur after leaving his home planet several years ago. Along the way, Chanyeol never envisioned falling in love with a teammate and eventually returning home to try and save his planet either. Where somehow the person he fell in love with and his attempt to saving Vuur were also related to each other.

If it weren’t unfolding in real time in front of his own eyes, Chanyeol would still have a hard time believing that this was all real.  

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

When Kyungsoo woke up, he found himself in the stalled car with the engine still running. Kyungsoo discovered that Chanyeol had blanketed him with the poncho while he was asleep. Chanyeol was not in the driver’s seat and was nowhere to be seen in the car either.

Kyungsoo sat up and returned his seat to its original position. Kyungsoo looked out the windshield to see dark skies signifying night time. The most prominent thing that Kyungsoo could notice was that it was snowing outside.

That was when Kyungsoo realized they had already arrived in the Northern city, where it first began snowing on the planet Vuur over a decade ago.

 

 

The car Kyungsoo was in, was parked outside a two-story house with a dome-shaped roof and a small b garden out front. There appeared to be similar looking houses next to it and down the road, all appearing to be empty and uninhabited.

The glowing street lamps lit up the empty and deserted area under the night. It wasn’t hard to tell that the place hadn’t been lived in and the roads haven’t been used in years.

 

Almost immediately, Chanyeol exited the house they were parked in front of. Chanyeol was able to see that Kyungsoo was already awake in the car.

Chanyeol was dressed heavily, in a thick winter coat and walked quickly to the car and into the driver’s seat. Chanyeol was also carrying another coat with him.

Chanyeol heaved a sigh once he was back in the car, rubbing his gloved hands together and feeling warmer in the temperature-regulated car interior.

 

“Sorry, I had to stop by my old house for some clothes. It was colder than I expected it to be,” Chanyeol described, handing the extra coat to Kyungsoo, “This is for you. We have to trek up a mountain to the observatory. It’s going to get colder up there.”

“Oh, this was your home when you still lived in the Northern city?” Kyungsoo looked out the window at the said building.

“Yeah, my tribe primarily lives in the Northern city until we had to move down South. We didn’t bring everything with us because we thought we’d come home one day. That’s why I still have my clothes left there,” Chanyeol explained.

“It’s alright, you’ll be able to go home with everyone else very soon,” Kyungsoo smiled, almost sadly as he looked upon the building that used to be Chanyeol’s home.  

“I hope so,” Chanyeol acknowledged, driving off as towards the mountains near the Northern city.

 

 

 

Kyungsoo was awake this time during the drive, looking out the car glass window at the abandoned landscape that used to be a vibrant and bustling city. In the present day it was largely abandoned and according to Chanyeol, only outlaws remained hiding in the Northern city where they lived rather harsh lives because of the cold that Vuurians were not accustomed to.

But that only gave Kyungsoo the more reasons he needed to justify saving Chanyeol’s home, even fully knowing that would land him in trouble with his own planet after.

 

 

After another hour’s drive, they arrived where the roads stopped at the base of the mountain range just outside the city limits of the Northern city.

In older times, the mountain range was part of an active volcano that was now extinct. Like all the terrain on Vuur, the mountain was bare without a forest cover but the dropping temperatures and its high elevation had led to the mountain being permanently covered by snow and frost during the winter months.

 

Kyungsoo wore the coat that he was given and stepped out the car at the base of the mountain near the trail to the observatory. Kyungsoo wore his sword by its strap onto his chest. It wasn’t too cold for Kyungsoo. In fact, it felt just like a mild winter on Kunryun.

Chanyeol handed Kyungsoo a lava crystal lamp that they would need to light their way up the mountain.

Chanyeol looked to a watch that he wore on his wrist, which displayed a holographic image of the time, date and current temperature where they were at.

 

 

“We’re lucky; it’s a new moon tonight so the skies will be dark enough for you to see the stars. We have a bit over three hours until dawn so we should hurry,” Chanyeol hasted, leading up the way on the mountain trail that was also partially lit.

“I can’t read this. What does it say? How long does it take to the observatory?” Kyungsoo pointed to a signboard on the trail.

“It says the observatory is an 1800 meters trek away,” Chanyeol read out.

“1800 meters?” Kyungsoo already felt tired just from hearing that, “-remind me why we didn’t take Umi instead and have Sehun fly us here?”

“Because we don’t want people trying to stop us and capture you to turn in to Kunryun,” Chanyeol reminded.

“Of course I have to trek up a mountain while I haven’t fully recovered yet,” Kyungsoo huffed, his hands at his waist that were beginning to get sore from the trekking up the inclined path they were on.

“You’re alright? If you’re not, I can carry you up there.” Chanyeol offered, even lowering himself so Kyungsoo could supposedly climb onto his back.

“Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself first,” Kyungsoo overtook Chanyeol on the trek, touching Chanyeol’s earlobe as he did so, “See, you’re cold.”

“I’m on Vuur. It should be alright…I think,” Chanyeol supposed, then remembering that although Vuurians derived their heat energy from the planet, it had been cooling very rapidly as of late.

 

 

 

Halfway up the trail, they came across another signboard which Kyungsoo told Chanyeol to read for him too.

Chanyeol relayed the information that the signboard read “900 meters” until the observatory. Kyungsoo sighed even more and was going to complain about being tired and why the observatory was so high up the mountain when he turned back to see Chanyeol crouching to the ground.

 

Chanyeol was hugging himself and very obviously shivering from the cold. Kyungsoo tied the lamp back to his belt to free up his hands as he approached Chanyeol.

“Chanyeol? Are you alright?” Kyungsoo sat on the hard ground with Chanyeol, placing an arm behind Chanyeol’s shoulder.

“I-I’m fine. J-just feeling a little cold. I’ll just be a m-minute,” Chanyeol trembled, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You’re so red from the cold,” Kyungsoo reported, swiping a thumb over Chanyeol’s nose and later rubbing his equally red and cold earlobes.

 

Chanyeol closed his eyes and allowed himself to lean into the warm touch. Kyungsoo was probably the warmest entity within the area, Chanyeol felt.

“Didn’t you say that your fire is supposed to be biggest on Vuur?” Kyungsoo jokingly reminded Chanyeol, as he was hugging and trying to warm Chanyeol up under their thick clothing.

“It’s supposed to,” Chanyeol chortled sarcastically, “-but at this rate, it doesn’t seem like I’ll be able to show you that big fire.”

“It’s alright,” Kyungsoo leaned his head on Chanyeol’s shoulder, “You can absorb heat energy, right? You can take my body heat.”

“I can’t. You’ll be cold if I do that,” Chanyeol refused.

“I can take the cold, Chanyeol. Winter on Kunryun is five times worse than this and we have even colder winds to boot. The winds can get so cold that it hurts your face when it blows,” Kyungsoo emphasized.

“Thank you then, but I don’t need it now because I still have some of my own. Let’s just get to the observatory first,” Chanyeol recommended.

 

 

It was then that Kyungsoo gazed to look up the sky and Chanyeol followed suit. In the dark, clear, night sky during winter, where all the surrounding areas were mostly dark and unlit, they were clearly able to see almost all the visible star in the night sky.

The stars twinkled in a variety of colors, with some clusters forming sparkling purple patches in the sky. They were even able to see some bright planets, a nebula and the neighboring galaxy forming a bright glowing silver streak all with the naked eye up there.

The trail was minimally lit and now they realized that all the while, it was the stars that had been lighting up their way. Everything, including the cold air, appeared to be calm and at a standstill around them.

 

“That’s Ozef there,” Chanyeol pointed to the brightest star in the sky.

“Yes, luckily it’s the second closest star to Vuur so I can see it clearly from here. Isioh will only appear at the horizon at dawn though,” Kyungsoo added.

“Yeah, we need to get to the observatory. Dawn is earlier the higher we go and it’s in a few hours,” Chanyeol mentioned as he looked at the time again.

“Let’s get going,” Kyungsoo held out his hand to Chanyeol who held onto it, as they continued trekking up the rest of the path together.

 

 

 

 

At the end of the trail, the path no longer inclined on the slightly curved surface on the mountain range. The dome-shaped observatory was visible on the snow-covered mountain just a bit ahead of them.

Chanyeol walked Kyungsoo to the entrance of the observatory, where he keyed in a passcode into the door’s electronic panel that opened up to let them in. The observatory was still up and functioning, although no one had been there in a while because the Northern regions of Vuur had been largely abandoned.

Once they were inside, the lights automatically came on and Chanyeol pressed a switch that opened the dome roof to reveal the optical telescope pointing towards the sky.

 

 

“You know how to work this, right?” Chanyeol asked, showing Kyungsoo a star map and fixing the telescope to point towards Ozef.

“Yes,” Kyungsoo nodded.

“Good. Then you can start the moment dawn starts and you can see Isioh over the horizon, and before it’s too bright that you can’t see Ozef anymore,” Chanyeol instructed.

 

Before Chanyeol could say anything further, a loud repeating rumbling and whirring sound was heard echoing on the mountainside, coming from a distance.

Chanyeol looked up at the dome-shaped roof that had been opened up to see lights from flying vehicles, circling from above them.

“The opposing tribes found us,” Chanyeol hissed, looking at his watch, “-and dawn starts in less than half an hour!”

“What do we do?” Kyungsoo stood at attention.

“I will hold them off while you do it. How long is it going to take you?” Chanyeol was almost ready to run out the observatory.

“At the speed of light, it takes four minutes for the light to travel from Ozef to Isioh. It will still take some time until all energy from Ozef is drained into Isioh,” Kyungsoo quickly answered.

“Okay, just stay here and do it. I won’t let any of them step into this observatory and stop you,” Chanyeol hastily leaned in to press a kiss on Kyungsoo’s temple before running out of the observatory door, which he slammed back shut.

 

 

 

Kyungsoo didn’t know what was going on outside. He only heard loud sounds of people fighting, shouting, screaming and yelling orders at each other.

Kyungsoo heard the sounds of machines and engines from the vehicles that had been landed on the mountain. Kyungsoo didn’t know if everyone there was after him, and he worried that Chanyeol had to face everyone alone.

Kyungsoo wanted to go out and rush to help. His sword was still hanging on his back by its strap. Kyungsoo grabbed onto it, almost feeling the urge to just run out there and help Chanyeol.

But Kyungsoo couldn’t leave now. Dawn was fast approaching and Kyungsoo had other things he had to do, which happened to be killing one star to bring life to another.

 

Kyungsoo gasped when he heard a loud slamming sound on the door, afraid that Chanyeol had been defeated and someone would break into the observatory to stop him. It was also cold out there, proving to be at a disadvantage for Chanyeol.

Seeing that he had a few minutes left, Kyungsoo took his chances and unsheathed his sword before running out of the observatory, ready to fight anyone who came at him.

Kyungsoo wasn’t used or comfortable with the idea of just sitting around when he could be doing something to help.

 

 

 

Instead, Kyungsoo was met with the sight of Sehun and Chanyeol holding their ground in front of the observatory’s entrance in the snowy landscape, fighting off the tens of guards who were sent by the opposing tribes to stop them.

“Uncle Sehun! How did you get here?” Kyungsoo was shocked.

“Don’t ask too many questions. Get back in there. Isioh is rising!” Sehun pointed to the horizon at the edge of the mountain, where the sky was lighting up in a dark purple color as dawn began and the night ended.

 

Kyungsoo hesitated on going back into the observatory or to help them when a blast of fireball came hurling in his direction from the other edge of the mountain.

Kyungsoo was only quick enough to catch Sehun yelling at Kyungsoo to take cover as the fireball was fast approaching him. Sehun was too occupied with holding off some of the guards to assist Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo thought he saw the fireball and its heat radiating just in front of his face, and expected to be severely burned when another larger blast of fire suddenly appeared and formed a large barrier wall around him.

 

 

This large wall of fire held off all the attacks and Kyungsoo realized how it was not hot, but warm and protective towards him.

It didn’t take Kyungsoo a second longer to see that it was Chanyeol who had conjured up the wall of fire, massive enough to circle around them and the entire observatory behind.

 

“I can’t hold this forever, Kyungsoo. You need the remaining darkness to do your thing,” Chanyeol smiled at Kyungsoo, using the last of his warmth to produce such a large barrier of fire.

“Alright,” Kyungsoo looked up at Chanyeol, where his dark eyes glistened, reflecting the glowing yellow-orange of Chanyeol’s fire, “-it’s big alright.”

“I told you so. You better hurry now. I’m going to take it down soon,” Chanyeol kept smiling as Kyungsoo ran back into the observatory.

 

 

 

With the doors shut again and secure inside the observatory, Kyungsoo gazed into the telescope that was already set and pointed at Ozef, which was slowly fading in the dawn sky.

Then, Kyungsoo looked towards Isioh rising from the horizon. Kyungsoo returned his gaze towards Ozef and closed his eyes now that he had recalled the image of the two stars.

Kyungsoo visualized the entire thing in his head, where he drew energy from Ozef and channeled it into Isioh.

Kyungsoo would occasionally open his eyes so as to refresh the view of the stars in his head before continuing to channel the energy with just the will of his mind.

 

 

Kyungsoo knew it was working when he saw Ozef fading and growing dimmer in the telescope view.

More evidence to show it was working was when Kyungsoo began to pant and breathe heavily. He was straining again, feeling giddy and like his legs were going to give away. His own energy was being expended for the process.

Then, Kyungsoo knew that Ozef was being killed and drained of its energy, but there was no way of telling whether Isioh was receiving all the energy.

 

Kyungsoo cried out from the strain, forcing himself to stay conscious to keep it going as he bent his neck upwards to look at the star he was killing in the brightening sky above him.

Even in the cold, Kyungsoo was sweating and his head felt extremely light like he had run out of the air to breathe when that wasn’t truly the case.

 

Kyungsoo didn’t even know if it was working yet, if all the energy from Ozef was actually going into Isioh. Before Kyungsoo could even confirm it, he passed out on the observatory floor. The last thought in his head before becoming conscious was just his worry that it didn’t work and he had failed all the 120 millions of Vuurians on the planet.

 

 

 

Outside on the snowy mountain, everyone who was fighting immediately stopped what they were doing to look out at Isioh now rising above the horizon.

It was mesmerizing enough for them to even forget who their enemies were and what they had come there for.

With a bright flare that erupted across the entire sky, the dim and cold Isioh immediately burst into life brightly and shone warmer like it had before it began dying.

 

It wasn’t just them but millions of Vuurians who were already awake to see the break of day, had witnessed their star and sky suddenly jump into brightness like it once did a long time ago. Even those who were asleep were quickly awoken by the others to witness the events unfolding in front of them.

Cheers of joy erupted and tears of relief were shed by almost every Vuurian everywhere who witnessed their star being given an ‘extension’ to live.

 

Chanyeol himself cried out of happiness for the first time in his life at the edge of the snowy mountain. Sehun was standing beside him and patted him on the back, praising him for playing his part at it too, as they watched the break of the day together.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

When Kyungsoo woke up again with the accompanying massive headache from using his powers, he found himself in the same room within the healer center.

Except for this time, the entire room was literally full of gifts and numerous offerings. Kyungsoo couldn’t even see the floor in an already large room because of the gifts. Some piles of the gifts were probably even as tall as he was.

Kyungsoo didn’t understand what was going at first until he saw Sehun emerging from a heap of the gifts, having tripped and being temporarily buried under it.

Chanyeol was also climbing over the gifts, trying to make his way to Kyungsoo’s bed.

 

“What is all this?” Kyungsoo asked confusedly as Sehun and Chanyeol climbed onto his bed, the only place that was free of the gifts and offerings.

“-presents from the people of Vuur. There’s so many coming in, the hall outside is almost full. There’s actually much more being sent here as we speak. They actually want to rename Isioh after you now,” Sehun sighed.

“They’re really grateful for what you did, Kyungsoo. You saved our planet. We don’t know how we could ever thank you,” Chanyeol chimed in.

“So it worked,” Kyungsoo was relieved and began to smile.

“It did, of course,” Chanyeol attested, “How do you feel, by the way?”

“My head hurts,” Kyungsoo pointed to his head, “-but that’s normal and it'll go away.”

“How are we going to bring back everything though? We already have so little space on Anam,” Sehun began to worry, looking at all the gifts that could never possibly fit on Umi.

"Maybe it's time for us to get someplace bigger," Chanyeol suggested, jokingly.

"You know we can't afford that because of fuel prices," Kyungsoo teased.

Sehun groaned as Kyungsoo and Chanyeol continued teasing him. 

 

 

 

 

Kyungsoo later had another meeting with Youngmi and the other seven tribe leaders. Sehun accompanied Kyungsoo but Chanyeol was nowhere to be seen.

The other tribe leaders of those who had left Vuur were en route back to Vuur to meet Kyungsoo too.  The news had spread fast among the Vuurians both still on the planet and those who had migrated elsewhere.

Those who had originally opposed Kyungsoo all bowed to him in forgiveness and tried to offer him their tribe’s most prized item or relic to be gifted to Kyungsoo. 

Kyungsoo forgave them but had no choice but to accept each and every one of their gifts because he didn’t want to seem rude and turn them down. 

 

Kyungsoo was draped by the tribe leaders with their finest robes and he struggled to keep it all on as he accepted their apology and thanks. Kyungsoo just really wanted to help without expecting anything in return.

While trying to hold some precious rocks he had just been gifted in his hand, all while balancing himself to keep standing with the robes he had been given to wear, Youngmi approached Kyungsoo to give her offerings too.

Sehun helped to take the rocks and robes off of Kyungsoo and put the gifts away in a corner as he continued to worry about what to do with it.

 

 

There, Chanyeol appeared, standing beside his mother with his hands behind his back and looking rather timid, unable to look at Kyungsoo or Sehun for that matter. Chanyeol was also dressed in his planet’s robes clothing instead of the clothes he usually wore.

Kyungsoo only thought that Chanyeol might have been scolded off by his mother or something.

Youngmi, the Queen of Vuur, almost dropped to her feet to express her gratitude. Kyungsoo had to stop her from doing so, assuring that it wasn’t necessary and that he understood her sincerity.

 

“You saved us,” Youngmi said like almost everyone had told Kyungsoo that day.

“I was glad that I’m able to,” Kyungsoo repeated for the nth time that day.

“Now it’s my turn to offer you a gift on behalf of my tribe. It’s according to our tradition to gift this to those who have been our savior, so I hope you’ll be able to accept it,” Youngmi clutched a hand to her heart before pushing Chanyeol forward towards Kyungsoo.

Chanyeol caught his balance as he was pushed towards Kyungsoo. Then, Chanyeol bowed towards Kyungsoo, still unable to look at Kyungsoo in the eye.

“Oh, alright,” Kyungsoo accepted, thinking Chanyeol’s display of reverence was their tribe’s traditional gift.

 

“We’ll hold the official ceremony two nights from now. From then, Chanyeol is all yours,” Youngmi announced, slapping Chanyeol on the back.

“I don’t understand?” Kyungsoo was confused.

Chanyeol sighed, rolling his eyes when he thought that his mother wasn’t watching as he stood back up.

Youngmi happily explained, “In our tribe’s tradition, we offer the oldest child of the leader to become the consort of our savior. At the ceremony two nights from now, Chanyeol will be yours in a traditional bonding ritual.”

“I’m sorry; I tried to tell her-“Chanyeol tried to protest, only to be slapped on the back again by his mother.

“Don’t be rude,” Youngmi hissed at Chanyeol, then turning to Kyungsoo, "It's not legally binding and merely traditional so if you don't want him, I can pick someone else."

"Wha-" Chanyeol tried to protest.

"It's alright, I want him," Kyungsoo stepped in, shaking from trying to stop himself from laughing. 

 

Then, Kyungsoo burst into laughter and almost keeled over because of how hard he was laughing. Sehun was on the floor, rolling and probably dying of laughter. Chanyeol chuckled a bit at the comical situation of having to be married to Kyungsoo in a traditional ritual ceremony, before feeling cold feet at the whole ceremony to come even if it was purely ceremonial. 

 

 


	7. Eclipsing Binaries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some smut ahead if you want to skip that. This is an E-rated fic after all *coughs*

 

Even if Kyungsoo remained on Vuur for the rest of his entire life, he would never get used to the idolization that he was receiving from almost every Vuurian.

Kyungsoo didn’t believe he had done too much, but to the Vuurians, he was their savior and their hero. Surely, Kyungsoo and the Vuurians saw things differently from a varying perspective.

Kyungsoo couldn’t say he hated it but he would rather not have it either. All Kyungsoo wanted to do was help and then maybe return to this mercenary job he had been doing with Sehun and Chanyeol.

 

Two days after Kyungsoo killed the star, Ozef, to breathe life back into Isioh, almost the entire galaxy had already heard of Kyungsoo’s feats. Non-Vuurians and Vuurians alike were flocking the planet to see this astronomical phenomenon for themselves.

Kunryun sure did hear about it too although they remained silent for the time being. Kunryun had not released an official statement and declined to talk about it. It did help that Kunryun had a small population and was in the far reaches of the Eastern sector of the galaxy, where they were far secluded and isolated from the other planets and civilizations.

Frankly, no one was looking forward to what Kunryun had to say or do when they finally decided to take action.

 

 

 

In the Southern city on Vuur which had been designated as their capital city over a decade ago, two days after Kyungsoo brought life back to their star; Kyungsoo was celebrated and paraded as a hero throughout the city.

The planet had begun heating up again and the temperature in midday was not something Kyungsoo could easily stand for long.

But Kyungsoo didn’t want to disappoint the millions of Vuurians who had gathered and waited in the streets to greet, cheer and thank Kyungsoo for his act. Not that Kyungsoo was expecting anything from them anyway.

 

Kyungsoo forced himself to go while Sehun bailed out after ten minutes to go back inside and wait in a building, while the parade throughout the city continued. Chanyeol remained by Kyungsoo’s side throughout the whole event until the end.

Throughout the parade, Kyungsoo had to wipe himself with a wet towel and drink lots of water under the scorching heat and the light from their now revived star. Kyungsoo comforted himself in the thought that it would be over soon and wouldn’t last forever anyway.

 

At the end of the parade in the city center between all the landmark buildings, the tribe leaders all made a speech and showered Kyungsoo with their praise and thanks. Kyungsoo and Sehun were granted honorary Vuurian citizenship by Chanyeol’s mother, the Queen of Vuur.

The citizens had wanted to raise funds to build a statue of Kyungsoo in the city square, but he quickly declined it. That was the only gift from the Vuurians he had to turn down because it made him feel very uncomfortable. Kyungsoo didn’t believe he should be idolized or revered as such, because he was just doing what he had to.

With the honorary citizenship bestowed unto him, Kyungsoo was, by all means, declared a legal subject of the planet and government of Vuur. Under this status, Vuur had every right to protect Kyungsoo and protect him from being extradited if Kunryun ever decided to demand so.

If Kyungsoo were honest, that was the only perk he was actually glad to have after this whole thing. For it did give him a bit peace of mind that he wasn’t going to be shipped back to his planet anytime soon.

 

 

 

The whole event lasted into the night, where a grand dinner feast was held in the official palace residence where Chanyeol and his mother were supposed to live in during her tenure as the regnant Queen of Vuur. The feast was also attended by all the important people of Vuur.

During the dinner feast, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol were dressed in long white robes as the feast was to celebrate their union in a ritualistic marriage, to signify forming a bond between Vuurians and Gaueans.

Sehun was still laughing about it somewhere at the table, while Chanyeol kept arguing that it wasn’t legally binding because he was embarrassed and nervous at the whole ceremony.

 

Chanyeol had to hide his shyness during the whole feast when all the tribe leaders and dignitaries of Vuur came up to him and Kyungsoo, to give them blessings for their union and newly formed bond.

It was even more embarrassing when Chanyeol’s mother herself, bestowed her blessings and her desire for them to be the bridge that unites their two races now that they were recognized as a married couple in the eyes of Vuurian tradition.

Kyungsoo smiled and nodded throughout the whole thing. He was far from embarrassed and he wasn’t going to decline their blessings anytime soon either. He felt that he might be needing all the blessings he was getting, in anticipation of Kunryun's next move.

 

 

 

At the end of the dinner feast, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol were escorted into their sleeping chambers for their first night together after the ritualistic marriage ceremony. Sehun laughed to himself as he watched Kyungsoo and Chanyeol being escorted away.

Chanyeol’s room in the palace had been prepared and arranged for the both of them, even if Chanyeol hadn’t been there himself in a while. 

The large black rock bed, including the mattress and the equally black sheets, had been made. The lightings had been dimmed down and only left with a few lava crystals to illuminate the room in a soft orange-yellow glow.

 

“They want us to consummate the marriage. That’s why they prepared this room and left us alone for the night,” Chanyeol’s eyes went round in horror at the realization once they were left alone in the room.

“Isn’t that how almost all marriages are supposed to go? I thought you would know that,” Kyungsoo laughed, undoing some clasps on the robes around his shoulder to take them off, standing with his back to Chanyeol near the edge of the bed.

“Wait…you’ve done this before?” Chanyeol questioned, seeing Kyungsoo strip out of his clothes.

“Get married? No, I haven’t,” Kyungsoo answered, standing around only in his undergarments as he folded the robe.

Chanyeol hesitated and stuttered a bit until he was finally able to ask the question, as he followed Kyungsoo near the built-in shelves, “I mean, have you had s-sex before?”

“I’ve had lovers in the past but it never worked out because we were young. That was a long time ago though,” Kyungsoo smiled at Chanyeol, making it sound very obvious. Kyungsoo then paused at a sudden realization, quickly changing his tone, “Wait, you’ve never done it before?”

“No,” Chanyeol admitted, slightly shaking his head, “I’ve never had a lover either before you.”

“It’s alright. If you don’t want to do it tonight, that’s fine,” Kyungsoo assured with a soft voice, stroking Chanyeol’s bare arm, “We can wait if you want.”

“Uh…” Chanyeol was unable to come up with a response as Kyungsoo walked back to the bed.

 

 

Kyungsoo sat on the edge of the bed, looking up at Chanyeol under the dim ambient glow of the lava crystal lights.

“I’m going to sleep soon. It’s been a long day,” Kyungsoo mentioned.

“Are you tired?” Chanyeol came around, plopping himself down on the bed beside Kyungsoo, his weight dipping the mattress.

“Not really. I can stay up a bit longer if you want to do something else,” Kyungsoo presumed.

“Did you take your medicine yet?” Chanyeol asked, leaning in his head closer to Kyungsoo.

“I did,” Kyungsoo affirmed, looking straight ahead at blank space.

Chanyeol gulped and tried to make small talk, “Are you hungry?”

Kyungsoo chuckled, looking at Chanyeol to his side, “Hungry? Why would I be? Did you see the amount of food at the feast just now?”

“I was just asking,” Chanyeol looked away shyly, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand.

“Are you hungry?” Kyungsoo returned the question.

“N-no,” Chanyeol exclaimed.

“Alright, Kyungsoo accepted, smiling softly.

 

 

Kyungsoo continued staring ahead, looking into blank space as he sat at the edge of the bed, reveling in the silence while Chanyeol sat close to him and looked the other way.

Chanyeol didn’t know how to approach the topic and bring up his needs to Kyungsoo. It was his first time, after all. After some time debating his thoughts and on what to say, Chanyeol finally decided to tell Kyungsoo about it.

Somehow, it felt as if Kyungsoo was purposely waiting there to give Chanyeol time and an opportunity to speak.

 

Chanyeol laced his fingers with Kyungsoo’s at their sides as Kyungsoo’s eyes fluttered to look up at him.

Chanyeol closed his eyes and moved in closer, tilting his head with his lips slightly parted. Kyungsoo knew what that meant and closed his eyes too, letting Chanyeol crash their lips against each other.

Chanyeol pulled away to kiss on the side of Kyungsoo’s jaw where his face met his neck. Kyungsoo let out a muffled gasp and quivered at the sudden touch and change in temperature because Chanyeol was so warm against him.

 

With their hands still clutched in each other’s, Chanyeol rested his head on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, breathing warm air, titillatingly against Kyungsoo’s neck.

“So, do you want to do it?” Kyungsoo gently asked Chanyeol, leaning his head against Chanyeol’s.

“Yes,” Chanyeol breathily replied, “I love you and that’s what I want to do tonight.”

“I do too,” Kyungsoo agreed as he carefully lifted Chanyeol’s head from his shoulder.

 

 

Kyungsoo moved further up the bed until his back hit the propped up pillows. With his legs slightly spread apart, Kyungsoo motioned for Chanyeol with a come hither motion.

Chanyeol took the cue as Kyungsoo laid down on his back on the bed. Chanyeol hovered above Kyungsoo with his hands planted on the mattress at his sides to support his weight up.

 

Chanyeol was beginning to breathe heavier and he was beginning to doubt that this was all happening in real time. Meanwhile, Kyungsoo was looking up at him with lidded and eyes full of lust.

Chanyeol littered Kyungsoo with kisses down the latter’s neck and along the ridge of his shoulder bone, as his hands roamed on Kyungsoo’s bare chest. Chanyeol lightly nipped his teeth on the thin skin that covered Kyungsoo’s throat, which caused Kyungsoo to let out a soft gasp.

It was exhilarating to be able to explore and feel Kyungsoo’s skin against the palm of his hands that were probably a bit calloused and coarse from all the fighting.

 

 

Chanyeol brushed a finger over Kyungsoo’s nipple as he gently poked and rolled the body part between his fingers, earning him a soft moan and shudder from Kyungsoo beneath him.

Chanyeol loved the response that Kyungsoo was giving him, knowing that it was an indication that he was doing something right at least. Chanyeol was inexperienced but he was by no means clueless or ignorant.

Chanyeol moved lower to align his face against Kyungsoo’s chest. Chanyeol’s eyes were open to look back up at Kyungsoo as he engulfed his wet lips on Kyungsoo’s perked nipple, alternating between kissing and licking at it.

 

Kyungsoo propped himself up with his elbows, wrapping his arms around Chanyeol and then lifted Chanyeol’s face up from latching onto his nipple.

Kyungsoo held Chanyeol’s head above him with both hands framing Chanyeol’s face, as his thumbs were playing with and prodding Chanyeol’s earlobes.

“Can I?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Of course,” Chanyeol smiled, “I know you like them.”

 

 

Kyungsoo smiled too and kissed Chanyeol one more time before sitting up on the bed, pushing Chanyeol to a sitting position too.

Kyungsoo removed his shorts and cast them aside as he climbed onto Chanyeol’s lap. Kyungsoo brushed Chanyeol’s hair away from his forehead to press another soft kiss on Chanyeol’s forehead.

Kyungsoo just felt this strong desire to make Chanyeol feel loved and appreciated, even if Kyungsoo was really indulging himself at this point. Somehow, Kyungsoo couldn’t help these feelings. 

 

Kyungsoo helped Chanyeol out of the robes and cast them aside too, bringing himself back to straddling Chanyeol’s lap.

Kyungsoo sighed against Chanyeol’s neck, “You’re beautiful.”

Chanyeol was about to say something in return too but ended up yelping and feeling unexplainably aroused when Kyungsoo gently grazed his teeth against his earlobes.

Chanyeol always knew Kyungsoo had a thing for his ears, but he didn’t know how good it actually felt to let Kyungsoo have his way with it.

 

Kyungsoo sucked and gently nibbled onto Chanyeol’s earlobes as he rubbed the other one with his fingers, and repeated it for the other side, giving both sides almost equal attention.

Chanyeol didn’t mind it and he was actually beginning to get hard, just to feel Kyungsoo thrown and pressed up against him, playing around with his reddened earlobes.

 

 

Chanyeol was indeed caught by surprise when he felt Kyungsoo’s fingers wrapping around his erect cock between their bodies.

“Wait,” Chanyeol reacted; pulling his head away to look into Kyungsoo’s eyes.

“Do you not like it?” Kyungsoo made sure to ask as he removed himself from Chanyeol’s bare lap, sitting back on the bed between Chanyeol’s legs.

Chanyeol denied, running his fingers through Kyungsoo’s hair, “No- I mean, yes! I was just a bit surprised. Let’s carry on but I want to do it to you too.”

“Alright then,” Kyungsoo chuckled softly as he looked back into Chanyeol’s eyes.

It wasn’t farfetched to say that Chanyeol really felt inexplicably in love with Kyungsoo right there and then, to just see Kyungsoo assuring and being concerned over him.

 

 

Sitting between Chanyeol’s legs, Kyungsoo pulled Chanyeol in by the neck for another kiss as he wrapped his hand around Chanyeol’s thick length. Chanyeol was indeed bigger than Kyungsoo and he had discovered that a few days ago already.

Wrapped around his fingers, Kyungsoo stroked Chanyeol’s erect cock slowly and languidly, feeling how warm and heavy Chanyeol felt in his hand.

Chanyeol reciprocated, also stroking off Kyungsoo, and swiping his thumb over the slit of Kyungsoo’s equally erect cock to smear the precum onto his fingers.

Chanyeol could also feel himself leaking precum that trickled down the length of his erection, wetting Kyungsoo’s fingers wrapped around it.

 

 

Chanyeol closed his eyes and tilted his head back, exposing his neck as he let out a breathy moan when Kyungsoo began to speed up the strokes on his cock.

Just as Chanyeol was beginning to feel the pressure build up in him, Kyungsoo instantly removed his hand away.

Chanyeol whined and opened his eyes to gaze into Kyungsoo’s hazy eyes. Chanyeol saw what Kyungsoo was doing.

Kyungsoo was wrapping his pre-cum stained fingers on Chanyeol’s hand instead, as he slowly brought Chanyeol’s fingers to his mouth.

Before Chanyeol could guess what Kyungsoo would do next, Kyungsoo was licking Chanyeol’s long fingers and sucking on them as he inserted several digits into his wet mouth.

 

Kyungsoo smeared his saliva all over Chanyeol’s digits and then pulled away, not breaking the eye-contact with Chanyeol. Kyungsoo turned so his back was facing Chanyeol and climbed onto all fours on the bed in front of Chanyeol.

“Put your fingers in,” Kyungsoo instructed, pulling open his butt cheeks with his hands behind him, exposing his hole to Chanyeol.

 

Not letting his fingers dry out from the dripping saliva that was Kyungsoo’s, Chanyeol obliged and inserted his middle finger into Kyungsoo before quickly adding a second finger in just seconds later when he realized how loose Kyungsoo was enough to take it.

Chanyeol’s fingers fit snuggled inside Kyungsoo. There wasn’t much intrusion or resistance to keep adding the fingers but once they were in, Chanyeol felt how Kyungsoo’s walls clenched back on his fingers and how wet Kyungsoo was getting.

 

Chanyeol was puzzled for a second there, only then realizing that Kyungsoo was a Gauean who could give birth and that although he shared similar body parts with Chanyeol, this one part here worked differently to allow Kyungsoo to conceive, carry and deliver a baby.

With two fingers, Chanyeol fingered Kyungsoo’s hole that was beginning to get slick from the self-lubrication which male Vuurians like him lacked because they weren’t meant to conceive.

 

Chanyeol drove his fingers in deep until both knuckles disappeared within Kyungsoo’s tight heat.

Kyungsoo had the side of his face pressed to the black bed sheets beneath him as he breathily moaned out Chanyeol’s name.

Chanyeol could feel his heart beating loudly and wildly against his chest, extremely turned on at the sight of Kyungsoo spreading his ass open in front of him.

 

 

Chanyeol felt like he might explode and unable to contain it anymore, Chanyeol removed his fingers and flipped Kyungsoo over to lie on his back against the bed.

“I love you and I’m going to do it now,” Chanyeol groaned, spreading Kyungsoo’s legs open and brushing the length of his cock against Kyungsoo’s wet hole.

“Do it,” Kyungsoo whined, throwing his head back on the pillow beneath him.

 

Chanyeol guided himself to Kyungsoo’s entrance and slowly pushed the head of his cock into the tight heat. The soft, warm and wet feeling pulsing against the head of his cock was enough to send Chanyeol into a frenzy to keep pushing further inside to chase that feeling.

Chanyeol moved his hands to grip onto Kyungsoo’s hips, pressing fingers down on Kyungsoo’s protruding hipbones.

 

 

Kyungsoo was calm and had his eyes closed while he whimpered at the feeling of being filled up by Chanyeol.

It was Chanyeol who was breathing unevenly, flushed and innately reminding himself to be as gentle as possible with Kyungsoo.

 

Once Chanyeol was fully sheathed within Kyungsoo, he removed the hands from Kyungsoo’s hips. Chanyeol placed a hand behind each of Kyungsoo’s knees, spreading Kyungsoo’s legs apart above him. Kyungsoo was almost folded in half when Chanyeol pressed in close enough to lean their foreheads against each other.

Chanyeol did everything quickly because he couldn’t take the sensation anymore. It felt so good and inviting, and the fact that Kyungsoo’s heartbeat seemed to mimic the pulsating and throbbing feeling he felt of being balls deep within Kyungsoo’s walls didn’t help either.

 

Chanyeol began thrusting in and out of Kyungsoo, fast and deep so most of his length was always within and filling Kyungsoo up almost all the time.

Kyungsoo wrapped his arms around Chanyeol, pulling Chanyeol even closer.

“Chany-“ Kyungsoo moaned, unable to even complete the name as he grabbed onto Chanyeol’s biceps like he was clinging on for dear life.  

 

Chanyeol was mostly quiet, letting out guttural groans and growls accompanied by heavy breathing as he continued pounding into Kyungsoo and keeping their sweaty bodies pressed up close to each other.

Kyungsoo couldn’t move much except for his arms in that position. He couldn’t even press his foot down to grind down because Chanyeol was firmly holding onto his legs. All Kyungsoo could do was just lie there and let Chanyeol take him.

Kyungsoo was at the mercy of Chanyeol but he loved that feeling so much.

 

 

Chanyeol changed the angle of thrusts and Kyungsoo clawed down the skin on Chanyeol’s back as he moaned, “Yes, just like that. It’s so good…”

Chanyeol did not respond verbally but pressed a kiss on Kyungsoo’s neck instead as a sign to show that he was taking the cue.

With saliva drooling from the edges of his mouth, Kyungsoo cried out, “Chan- Chanyeol, I’m going to cum.”

“Yes,” Chanyeol sighed, burying his head at the crook of Kyungsoo’s neck while his hands were still firmly holding Kyungsoo’s legs up behind the knee.

 

With several more deep and hard thrusts, Kyungsoo felt the pressure building in him rising and finally exploding when he came, spilling cum from his own neglected cock onto both of their chests.

As Kyungsoo came, the muscles in his lower half clenched and tightened down on Chanyeol’s cock within him, pulling Chanyeol further inside and down the fits of pleasure.

Chanyeol didn’t stop as Kyungsoo came, clenching down on his cock. Chanyeol kept thrusting into Kyungsoo’s slick entrance; chasing his own orgasm and feeling it arrive not long later.

 

With a loud gasp that left his mouth involuntarily hung open and dripping saliva too near Kyungsoo’s face, Chanyeol came inside Kyungsoo, pressing his head against Kyungsoo’s shoulder as he regained his breath and came down from his high. Kyungsoo was also breathing heavily beneath him.

It was only then that Chanyeol realized what he had done.

“Oh shit,” Chanyeol swore, pulling out from Kyungsoo as cum continued to trickle out of Kyungsoo’s engorged entrance, “I’m so sorry. I forgot you can get pregnant.”

Kyungsoo, on his back, laughed instead. Not because he found it comical, but because he finally realized how he had forgotten and thrown that fact out the window because he wanted Chanyeol so bad too.

Both he and Chanyeol had literally been too horny to even forget the implications of their actions.

 

 

“You’ll be alright, will you? I promise I won’t leave you if it happens,” Chanyeol was worried as he pulled Kyungsoo into a hug.

“I’ll be fine. Let’s not worry about it. I don’t think it’ll happen after just one time,” Kyungsoo assured, betting on the chances that he would indeed not get pregnant.

“Alright,” Chanyeol bought Kyungsoo’s assurance as they laid on their sides, facing each other on the bed.

Kyungsoo was beginning to get sleepy as he softly traced the scratch marks he left on Chanyeol’s arms, “You know, I think I might stay on Vuur for a bit longer.”

“Really?” Chanyeol’s face lit up.

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo sleepily muttered, “-maybe for a few months or so. I don’t really want to go back to Myolhada anyway. Uncle Sehun can take a lot of missions to do here now that your planet is rebuilding, so I’ll have something to do too while you work on rebuilding your home city too.”

“That makes me very happy to hear that,” Chanyeol grinned, caressing Kyungsoo’s cheek.

“I know, I love you,” Kyungsoo whispered, falling asleep very fast after.

“I love you too,” Chanyeol mouthed back, watching Kyungsoo, the love of his life fall asleep within his arms after they had officially consummated their relationship.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

Within the following two months, Chanyeol together with Kyungsoo and Sehun had moved into his old home in the Northern city. Youngmi remained in the Southern city, the capital city, while Chanyeol took the responsibility of overseeing the move back to the Northern city.

The Northern city had begun to warm up, although it was still cooler and less hot compared to the other Vuurian cities further down South.

Kyungsoo and Sehun still compared the temperature there to a really dry summer in Kunryun but it was tolerable for now since it was supposed to be one of the cooler months too. They had planned to leave Vuur by the time the cooler months were over too.

Their house on Vuur was cooled down to a lower temperature than usual in order to accommodate both Sehun and Kyungsoo. Chanyeol just resorted to wearing long sleeves around the house.

 

 

This time, Sehun had his own room and Chanyeol and Kyungsoo were the ones sharing a room. Every morning, Chanyeol woke up to a bed with Kyungsoo in it and Sehun stopped pretending like he was shocked that both of them were now actively having sex with each other.

After all, in the eyes of the Vuurian tradition, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo were married, and Kyungsoo was recognized as the spouse of a prince although they continued to live very normal lives outside from the prying public eye.

 

 

Chanyeol always had work to do every day which involved the administration of the Northern city and assisting the returning Vuurians to settle once again in the city. There was also the problem of having to deal with the outlaws who had settled illegally in the Northern city when it was abandoned.

When it involved fighting and having to use physical force, that was where Sehun stepped in.

Sehun often took missions around in the Northern city, although he did still take and accept short missions in the other parts of the galaxy. Most of the time he’d go alone or with Kyungsoo. Chanyeol was too busy to come along with them in the time being but it wasn’t long until they were set to return to their spacefaring journeys.

 

 

 

After almost three months on Vuur, the cold season was coming to an end and the trio was due to leave Vuur in a few days.

Chanyeol had done as much as he could within those three months and had left the rest to be done by those responsible for it. Now it was time for them to leave Vuur and continue their jobs as mercenaries.

All of them, especially Kyungsoo, were beginning to miss being out there and fighting alongside each other like the team they were.

 

 

That evening, Chanyeol returned to the dome-shaped house with a now growing garden outside, carrying a handful of rock containers holding food that was cooked and given to him. Ever since they had moved there, people had been cooking and giving them food almost every day as a token of their appreciation especially to Kyungsoo for saving their planet.

Chanyeol entered the house, welcomed by its cool interior as he saw Sehun setting out cups and dishes on the black rock dining table. It was almost dinner time and they were to eat together like they did almost every day when they were there.

 

“Put the food down. I’ll take it out and put it on some plates,” Sehun instructed.

“Oh, you’re back already,” Chanyeol noted, “When I saw someone was home, I thought it would be Kyungsoo,”

“Yeah, I just arrived this morning and Kyungsoo is next door helping the neighbors fix their air ventilation system,” Sehun informed.

“I see,” Chanyeol nodded, placing the containers down on the table, “Kyungsoo said he wasn’t feeling well this morning so I just thought he’d be home the whole day.”

“It’s probably the weather, you know he can’t take the heat,” Sehun assumed.

“Maybe,” Chanyeol thought so too.

“By the way,” Sehun yelled from the kitchen to Chanyeol in the living room, “I have a surprise for you two. I’ll show you after dinner.”

“You can’t tell me now and just surprise Kyungsoo later on?” Chanyeol joked, popping his head into the kitchen to see Sehun retrieving more plates.

“No can do, I have to be fair,” Sehun refused, “-but I’ll tell you once Kyungsoo is here too.”

“I’ll go check up on him next door then,” Chanyeol grinned; leaving the house again as he had intended to check up on Kyungsoo even if it wasn’t for Sehun.

 

 

Once Chanyeol was out of the gates that bordered his house and their next-door neighbors, Chanyeol didn’t have to look further because he could see Kyungsoo standing near the neighbor’s front door, about to leave their house.

Kyungsoo was waving back at the neighbors and their children, who were thanking him for helping out.  Even if it wasn’t for saving their planet from freezing over, Kyungsoo would have been liked nonetheless because he was simply just nice and conscientious.

That was just the person Kyungsoo was, and Chanyeol thought of himself to be extremely lucky to be in love with such a person.

 

Chanyeol overheard the neighbors asking Kyungsoo to stay for dinner, only for Kyungsoo to politely turn them down because he had to go back and have dinner with his “husband and uncle”.

Hearing that put a smile to Chanyeol’s face, and he kept smiling even after Kyungsoo was now walking up the pathway leading to their house.

 

Kyungsoo was holding a spanner, pliers, and screwdrivers in one hand as he saw Chanyeol waiting for him near the gate, smiling.

“What are you smiling for? Are you up to something?” Kyungsoo chuckled, pulling his sleeves up to his elbow with his free hand.

“-nothing. I was about to get you actually but it seems like you were already done so I waited here for you,” Chanyeol replied.

“Did Uncle Sehun tell you to do that?” Kyungsoo assumed, entering the front yard of their house as they walked up to the house together.

“Nope,” Chanyeol shook his head, “You said you weren’t feeling well earlier so I thought I’d check up on you too.”

“I’m fine now, it’s nothing,” Kyungsoo brushed off, entering the house with Chanyeol.

 

 

 

At dinner, Sehun and Chanyeol ended up finishing most of the food while Kyungsoo didn’t even eat a quarter of what he was served. Kyungsoo felt too full even from a few spoonfuls and had to basically force himself to eat until giving up on it, even if he hadn’t had much to eat that day at all.

Chanyeol and Sehun were more than happy to finish Kyungsoo’s leftovers though. Chanyeol did ask Kyungsoo if he wanted something else to eat instead, but Kyungsoo assured that he was fine and not just feeling hungry.

It didn’t come off too strange because Kyungsoo had always been a light eater among the three of them.

 

 

Then, after dinner, Sehun unveiled this so-called “surprise” he had been waiting to show them. Sehun left for his room and then emerged back into the living room carrying a box out with him, looking very excited and eager to show off Kyungsoo and Chanyeol what he had in it.

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol crowded around Sehun who was seated on the couch, with the box on the black rock coffee table in front; as Sehun pried open the lid off the box.

 

“Here it is,” Sehun gushed, pulling out a dark blue jacket, “It’s our new uniform.”

“-new uniform?” Chanyeol repeated, scooting closer on the couch to look at the jacket.

Kyungsoo remained standing beside the coffee table, with one hand on his waist as he looked on.

“Yup, I thought that we ought to have a uniform so we can look unified with each other as a team,” Sehun happily announced, then pointing to the nametag sewn above the left breast pocket, “This is yours, Chanyeol. Try it and see if it fits.”

“Nice,” Chanyeol commented, receiving his jacket and putting it on, starting with his right arm.

“-and here’s yours,” Sehun smiled, handing another jacket to Kyungsoo.

“Thanks,” Kyungsoo muttered softly, taking the jacket with one hand as he read his name embroidered on it in the Anam script.

“Oh, there’s more!” Sehun announced, pulling out earpieces from the box too and handing each to Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, “It’s our custom in-ear for communication while we’re on a mission with better range and audio quality.”

“Why the sudden upgrade though?” Chanyeol asked.

Sehun explained, “Well, we’ve been saving a lot of money since we don’t have to pay rent here. The Vuurian government is also paying for our living expenses and we don’t have to use much starship fuel since we mostly work on this planet. So we have extra funds and I thought I’d use it on this stuff so we can look uniform with each other.”

“I can’t wait for us to start our next mission,” Chanyeol was eager and looking forward to it.

“It’ll make us look more professional,” Sehun boasted at the future prospects of their team.

 

As Chanyeol was buttoning up the jacket and had placed the in-ear into his ear to test it out, he looked up to find and see how Kyungsoo liked the new gear too.

Instead, Chanyeol saw Kyungsoo walking off in heavy strides towards the kitchen. Kyungsoo had left his jacket and in-ear piece on the table too.

“Where’d Kyungsoo go?” Sehun looked around for Kyungsoo.

“I saw him go to the kitchen. I’ll see what’s up. I’m afraid he’s not feeling well again,” Chanyeol offered, taking off the in-ear and putting it back on the table as he jogged to the kitchen.

 

 

 

Chanyeol entered the kitchen to find Kyungsoo holding a hand to his cheek and crying beside the counter.

Kyungsoo had his back turned to Chanyeol but it was very obvious that Kyungsoo was crying because of the muffled sobbing noises, and the way Kyungsoo’s shoulders were trembling.

 

“Kyungsoo, are you alright? What’s wrong?” Chanyeol quickly rushed up to and immediately pulled Kyungsoo into a hug.

Kyungsoo hid his face away from Chanyeol behind his hand, not wanting Chanyeol to see him cry. Kyungsoo didn’t want Chanyeol to be worried about him.

However, Kyungsoo did catch a glimpse of Chanyeol wearing the new uniform and began to cry even harder, which left Chanyeol even more worried and confused.

 

“Kyungsoo? What’s going on?” Chanyeol tried to make Kyungsoo look at him, speaking gently and carefully.

While in the fits of crying, Kyungsoo tugged onto the front of the uniform jacket that Chanyeol was wearing, shaking Chanyeol slightly with it. Kyungsoo then pressed his face to Chanyeol’s shoulder and continued crying, staining the fabric with his tears.

“Kyungsoo…” Chanyeol sighed, hugging Kyungsoo and rubbing the back of Kyungsoo’s head on the latter’s hair.

Kyungsoo managed to compose himself enough to pull away from Chanyeol and finally talk, with eyes red from crying, “I’m so emotional. I should be happy right now but when I see the uniform and all the things Uncle Sehun got for me, I just burst into sadness.”

“It’s alright, its okay. I’m here for you,” Chanyeol continued to assure and comfort, rubbing Kyungsoo on the lower back.

Kyungsoo gasped in the midst of tears again, pulling on the front of Chanyeol’s jacket again to bring him closer, “Chanyeol, do you not get it?”

“-get what?” Chanyeol was beginning to panic, afraid that he would be unable to help Kyungsoo because he didn’t understand what was going on.

“I’ve been losing my appetite, getting headaches and nausea. My body is sore, it’s hard for me to get up in the morning and I’ve been having these mood swings. Do you still not understand?” Kyungsoo was exasperated.

“No, I don’t think I do,” Chanyeol remained to be cautious with his words.

“I think I might be pregnant,” Kyungsoo blurted out, deadpanning.

Chanyeol froze where he stood, with his mouth slightly open and his eyes unfocused. Although fully plausible, Chanyeol was still left very surprised to hear the possibility of it.

 

 

The following day, Kyungsoo submitted a blood test the next day to a laboratory, but because he was a Gauean, the Vuurian laboratory technicians would need more time to process the test results than usual.

Then, all three of them waited to find out if Kyungsoo was really pregnant.

 

The prospect of having a baby and having to take care of the child was not the most worrying part. The possibility of Kunryun finding out and how they would react, especially after the silence because of what Kyungsoo had done, was the most worrying part to them.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

It was already that day for them to leave Vuur and return to their base, but the test results had yet to return since it was submitted three days ago. Sehun had suggested postponing their departure until the results came back, but Kyungsoo was the one who insisted that they left like planned on the designated day.

Kyungsoo had been emotional more than usual, and as a result, he felt very strongly against not being able to leave Vuur and return to their base to carry out their next mission together, which he had looked forward to very much.

Sehun expressed his concern and Chanyeol was worried but they indulged Kyungsoo like they almost always did anyway. Either way, they would still be able to receive the results of the blood test even while they were away from Vuur.

 

 

The three of them were in the space dock in the hangar where Umi was parked in. They were already dressed in their new uniforms and were loading their starship with supplies.

Kyungsoo was going through a test run with their flight system controls while Sehun and Chanyeol were doing the physical labor of carrying the supplies and weapons onto the starship.

As Chanyeol was picking some more things up in the hangar to be brought onto the ship, an employee of the space dock entered the hangar to pass Chanyeol a sealed envelope.

Seeing Kyungsoo’s name, the name of the laboratory and its logo on the envelope, Chanyeol already knew what the contents inside was pertained to.

 

 

Chanyeol entered the flight deck where Kyungsoo was in the pilot’s seat having a run through with their controls.

“Kyungsoo I got the results back,” Chanyeol informed, standing behind the seat Kyungsoo was on.

“Read it,” Kyungsoo ordered as he continued to run through the diagnostics, needing to pay attention and be detailed or risk the starship crashing if done incorrectly.

 

Chanyeol was a bit hesitant and admittedly nervous to open it and see what the results were, but he knew that avoiding it wouldn’t be helping either.

Chanyeol pulled the results out from the envelope and began reading through it from top to bottom, then rereading it again to make sure he understood and fully comprehended what it said.

“Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol called out.

“Yeah?” Kyungsoo replied without turning around.

“How long is the gestation period for a Gauean, again?” Chanyeol had to ask, “-because we’re going to have a baby soon.”

 

 


	8. Runaway star

 

The gestation period for a Gauean was almost 11 months based on the Kunryun calendar, give or take a week or two.

Kyungsoo didn’t care even if he found out a few hours ago that he was five weeks pregnant with his and Chanyeol’s first child, the first baby to be born to any Gauean in over 20 years and also the first mixed-race baby born to a Gauean.

Kyungsoo wanted to leave Vuur and go on the mission as they had planned to, and being pregnant wasn’t going to stop him anytime soon. Kyungsoo was strong and he knew that enough to threaten anyone who would prevent him from leaving.

Kyungsoo was firmly insisting on leaving immediately after receiving the news, but it was Chanyeol and Sehun who somehow managed to convince Kyungsoo to postpone their departure for another day. It was so Kyungsoo could return to the surface of Vuur and see a specialist to check up and consult on his pregnancy.

 

 

Kyungsoo held his sword to the doctor’s throat, threatening to kill him and crash a meteor on his house if he broke the news about Kyungsoo’s pregnancy to others, even if to Chanyeol’s mother.

Sehun had tried to stop Kyungsoo and Chanyeol was too scared to intervene because he was not sure if Kyungsoo was just being emotional from the pregnancy or if Kyungsoo was just obeying the violent Gauean nature in him.

The doctor did several tests and an ultrasound, although Kyungsoo threatened to kill him again if the doctor dare tried to do anything sappy like make him listen to the unborn child’s heartbeat.

Kyungsoo told the doctor to talk to Chanyeol instead and not him. Chanyeol later relayed the information that their baby was healthy, viable and for them to return for another checkup next month.

 

 

 

Kyungsoo hadn’t yet gotten used to the idea of being pregnant and the idea of having an unplanned child. It was conflicting because he had run away from Kunryun to avoid having a baby, and that was what which is currently happening to him.

Kyungsoo felt like dying already at the idea of having to be “careful” for the next 10 months or so left in his pregnancy. Kyungsoo liked jumping out of high places, like rushing into battles and liked taking risks.

Kyungsoo didn’t like having to sit still, do nothing and basically be docile which he would have to because of the baby growing in him.

He was far from excited or looking forward to having their child. In fact, Kyungsoo just wanted it to be over with, not because he was cold or indifferent. It was because Kyungsoo was afraid of the change and what it would mean for his life thereafter.

 

Sehun spoiled Kyungsoo very much; since Kyungsoo was obviously his favorite nephew without question, and Chanyeol didn’t dare to say “no” to Kyungsoo either.

At Kyungsoo’s behest, they postponed leaving Vuur only for a day to visit the doctor, and left the next morning to their second base on Myolhada and prepare for their next mission.

 

 

 

After a few days on Myolhada, they left the desert outpost planet for a mission on a resource-rich planet that was populated by the galaxy’s most renowned philosophers, poets, and historians.

The journey would take them four Anam days aboard Umi, which gave Kyungsoo a lot of time to think about becoming a parent and having to be responsible for another person for the rest of their life.

 

Growing up, Kyungsoo didn’t have the best example of what a parent should be but he was determined to not end up like them. Sehun was the closest thing he had to a positive role model in his life, although Sehun was more like the cool older brother than a parental figure.

For hundreds of years, the Gaueans had detached the emotional aspect from birthing and raising children. As a Gauean, giving birth was only seen as a means to continue their dying bloodline, and not because they wanted to raise better people who would contribute to society and improve the world around them. It was first and foremost, a chore and duty and not a milestone in life to look forward to.

Kyungsoo had realized how flawed that kind of mentality was but he wasn’t convinced he’d be better, and he was afraid that he would just be a hypocrite who would contribute to adding another person into this violent bloodline.

Right now, Kyungsoo just felt lost because although everyone on Kunryun expected him to bear babies, they never taught him how to be a good and nurturing parent either, which Kyungsoo wanted to be.

 

 

 

 

Kyungsoo wasn’t sure which the case was. Whether the pregnancy symptoms were keeping him awake at night or whether he was still getting adjusted to the lack of the day/night cycle, because he found himself leaving the bunks and wandering up to the flight deck during sleeping time.

Kyungsoo sat in the pilot seat which belonged to Sehun, with his legs curled up on the seat as he looked out at the vast emptiness of space and the distant stars twinkling in the far distance.

Kyungsoo just sat there, doing nothing but thinking about everything. He should be six weeks pregnant by now, but that one week since discovering about it had felt like the longest ever he had been through.

For now, the pregnancy remained a secret between Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, Sehun and the doctor Kyungsoo threatened to kill.

 

 

Kyungsoo felt like he was probably about to get an epiphany or a sudden moment of self-realization, which was quickly interrupted by Chanyeol climbing loudly onto the flight deck calling out for him.

“Kyungsoo! Why are you out of bed? You need to rest,” Chanyeol exclaimed, putting his hand on the back of the pilot seat and looking very alarmed at Kyungsoo.

“Don’t you need to sleep too?” Kyungsoo asked in return, briefly looking up at Chanyeol standing beside him.

“I’m not the one who is pregnant,” Chanyeol reasoned.

“Lucky you,” Kyungsoo dryly mentioned, looking back out into space from the glass view.

Chanyeol sighed and sat down on the co-pilot’s seat, his usual seat, “What’s wrong, Kyungsoo? Are you scared?”

“I’m more uncomfortable than I am scared,” Kyungsoo admitted, “I’ve never been pregnant before and my body is changing in all these ways I’m not used to. I’m not sure how I’m going to fight with a protruding belly. Besides, our life is going to change so much once we have the baby. We cannot expect to live the same way we do now, and I’m not sure if I’m ready for that yet.”

“I know,” Chanyeol understood, moving a hand between the seats to rest a palm on Kyungsoo’s legs, “That’s why you have me and Sehun too. I’ve never had a child either but we’re going to do it together and I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Kyungsoo expressed, “I just don’t know what will happen to us after this.”

“We’ll become parents. That’s what will happen,” Chanyeol smiled, sounding excited.  

Kyungsoo clarified, “I know that. I mean about with Kunryun and all that. You know, I’m going to be the first known Gauean with a mixed-race child. I’m not sure how they’ll react to that, which is why I don’t want anyone else to know that I’m pregnant at all. I’m sorry, Chanyeol. I know your mother would be excited but I can’t tell her yet either. ”

“I understand,” Chanyeol assured, “If that’s what you wish and how you see fit, I will be fine with it as long as you and the baby are safe.”

“I’m sorry I made you have to leave Vuur so soon too when you just got back,” Kyungsoo apologized, “I felt uncomfortable that Kunryun knows I’m there, so I had to leave where they wouldn’t know where I was. I feel better now just traveling around.”

“It’s alright. I love my home and I’m happy you’ve saved it for the next millions of years to come, but I wanted to leave on my own accord too. I was getting restless just being in one place for so long already,” Chanyeol affirmed.

“I don’t want things to change,” Kyungsoo confessed, looking to his yet to be showing belly for a brief moment before looking back up, “I’m afraid that I won’t be the same person that I am today just because I had a baby, because I know that some things will have to change for the baby. I can’t keep…running away.”

“I can’t say about the world but no matter what, I know the one thing that won’t change and that is us, and how I feel about you,” Chanyeol promised, holding onto Kyungsoo’s hand.

“I know, I know,” Kyungsoo repeated, murmuring, “I trust you, I just don’t trust myself. At the end of the day, I am still a Gauean.”

“-but you’re different,” Chanyeol tried to explain.

“Only to a certain degree,” Kyungsoo responded, sighing softly as he was slowly coming to terms with the events unfolding in real time in his life.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

Like Kyungsoo had sworn by, he continued to undertake mission alongside Sehun and Chanyeol even through the course of his pregnancy.

Kyungsoo was more careful but he didn’t let it get in the way of his mission, and so far, Kyungsoo saw not much of a problem with it yet.

 

The first few months was easy because he only had to make monthly returns to Vuur for follow-ups, which could be over and done within a day, so Kyungsoo could leave as soon as he arrived. Nausea and early pregnancy symptoms that left him feeling fatigued and lethargic also went away after some time too.

There was no baby bump or physical signs yet such as putting on weight to show that he was pregnant yet, so it was easy to hide that fact from others.

 

 

 

After the 16th week of pregnancy was when things started to go out of the plan for Kyungsoo. At the last doctor appointment, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol were told to now have bi-monthly checkups as the pregnancy was progressing.

Sehun was re-scheduling their missions, calculating their travel times and making adjustments so as to not interfere with Kyungsoo’s appointments.

Kyungsoo already felt like a hinder when they had to turn down lucrative missions that didn’t fit into their schedule, all because he had to see a doctor to check up on the progress of his pregnancy.

 

Kyungsoo also started showing after the 16th week, and his belly seemed to be growing exponentially larger by the week. Kyungsoo feared it but he knew it was already very close to the point that he would become a liability in battle if he prioritized protecting his unborn child over the mission.

It wasn’t that easy now when even loose clothes still made his belly appear very well- pregnant.

 

 

 

After the appointment on the 20th week, they left immediately for Rasaoir, the mountainous planet where they were hired once by the president to drive out a pirate group that looted their trade ships.

The Rasaoir president was once again hiring them to drive out the remaining survivors of the pirate group, who had switched to become thieves in a prominent seaside city on the planet.

 

At over 20 weeks pregnant, Kyungsoo was very much showing up to a point where he couldn’t button his uniform jacket, although he could still wear it loose and hung open.

Around his chest, his clothes were getting tighter and although Kyungsoo could wear baggy shirts to hide his growing chest, he was still very embarrassed if someone noticed it.

Kyungsoo even stood up and tried to look down to his toes, and was very pleased when he was still able to do that.

 

 

While Sehun and Chanyeol were probably climbing and scaling buildings that were built into the mountainside whilst fighting off the pirate-turned-thieves, Kyungsoo was sitting beside a water fountain in the town square while reading a book on pregnancy and parenthood.

Kyungsoo was told to watch the city square in case the thieving group ran there and tried to escape or harm the townsfolk. Kyungsoo could have argued that he was getting the boring duty but he knew it was because they were concerned for him and the unborn child.

That was one of the changes that Kyungsoo feared when he first discovered he was pregnant. But now that it happened, Kyungsoo found himself oddly not resisting it.

Maybe it wasn’t that bad after all, and it was not like he would be pregnant forever, now that he was almost halfway through with it.

 

 

The townsfolk didn’t seem to mind him much too. They continued about their business while Kyungsoo was just sitting there peacefully beside the splashing fountain as he flipped through the book, with his sword by the side.

Kyungsoo had just bought the book off of a vendor in the same town. The people of Rasaoir used the Anam lingua franca as their official language so Kyungsoo could read and understood the books from the planet.

There was also a refreshing sea breeze that blew in the middle of the day from the ocean just at the edge of the town, which gave Kyungsoo a serene setting even though his teammates were grappling off thieves while dangling the edge off rocky mountainsides. He could hear them cursing and fighting over the in-ear communication system, but he was not too overly concerned yet.

 

 

Kyungsoo lowered his book to look when he thought he heard a commotion coming towards him. Kyungsoo kept still and quiet to make sure he really was hearing people shouting as a commotion was making its way to him, and not instead from the communication system of Sehun and Chanyeol in the middle of a fight.

Sure enough, there were at least two men donned in black clothing with face masks and brandishing weapons, running through the town and making their way to Kyungsoo near the fountain, whilst the townsfolk were all running and hiding away from them in return.

 

“How’d they find me?” Kyungsoo asked no one in particular, then realizing the uniform he was wearing that matched that of Chanyeol and Sehun’s.

“Oh, I get it,” Kyungsoo nodded to himself before leaving the book on the edge of the fountain, grabbing his sword and then running off in the opposite direction.

 

 

Kyungsoo ran through inclined pathways, up jagged hills and steep staircases between the town buildings that were built into the side of the mountain.

Kyungsoo was noticeably slower and panting even more than usual. It was worse compared to when he fell ill. At over 20 weeks pregnant, Kyungsoo just wasn’t as mobile as he used to be.

Kyungsoo was less worried about himself and more about the baby he was carrying. Because Kyungsoo knew he could protect himself, but the unborn child within him was unable to do so.

 

“I’m being chased!” Kyungsoo announced over the communication system, as he ended up on the roof of a house while he continued to skip over the gap between the buildings to get away from the two men chasing him.

“I’m a bit busy here!” Chanyeol responded, sounding strangled over the communication system.

“I’ll go get you,” Sehun then replied, leaving Chanyeol to deal with the rest of pirate-turned-thieves, “I’m coming, Kyungsoo!”

“Hurry!” Kyungsoo yelled into the communication system as he hesitated to take a plunge down to the roof of another house just a few meters below him.

 

 

Holding his swollen belly and protecting it with his hands, Kyungsoo took the jump which he wouldn’t have hesitated to do if he weren’t pregnant. Having a baby had indeed changed a lot of things.

Kyungsoo landed on his butt. It hurt a bit but as long as the baby was fine, Kyungsoo didn’t mind. Then, Kyungsoo continued running because he didn’t want to take the risk of fighting when he could flee.

 

Kyungsoo kept running as Sehun was too catching up to him, trying to find a safe rendezvous point. In the midst of running through the cramped buildings with the moderate seaside climate and the sea breeze blowing in on him, Kyungsoo began to realize that he had become a liability for his team.

He was supposed to be able to fend for himself but yet here he was, running away and having to make someone come after and protect him like he was some helpless being. Insisting on coming along during the mission was selfish, Kyungsoo now thought in retrospective.

 

 

There was no time to regret that now though when Kyungsoo found himself cornered at the edge of the town which was inconveniently also the edge of the cliff by the rocky sea below.

Kyungsoo still didn’t see Sehun or even Chanyeol in sight. Instinctively reacting, Kyungsoo turned his back towards his would-be assailants, covering his stomach with his hands even if that meant occupying the same two hands that should be wielding a sword instead.

 

Kyungsoo had nowhere else to run and he didn’t want to fight and risk harming his unborn child either. Somehow, Kyungsoo saw another option which was to jump off into the cliff and hopefully land in the sea and not onto the sharp rocks below.

It wasn’t the best of options but at that moment, Kyungsoo somehow thought it was more viable than standing his ground.

Before Kyungsoo did the unnecessary, Sehun arrived in the blink of an eye, shouting at Kyungsoo to duck and take cover.

 

 

Kyungsoo did as he was told, crouching to the ground as he felt Sehun throwing himself on Kyungsoo, and a large blast was heard with an accompanying shockwave that was strong enough to push Kyungsoo and Sehun to the ground but far from falling over the cliff.

Only then, Kyungsoo looked to see Sehun lying on the ground uninjured but groaning beside him, and Chanyeol standing not far ahead from them, lowering his hand to his side.

The bodies of the assailants who had been chasing after Kyungsoo were charred, burnt black and the smell of it was horrendous. They were barely recognizable and Kyungsoo quickly began retching and gagging at the smell.

 

Kyungsoo threw up from the smell, vomiting over the edge of the cliff while Chanyeol rushed up to him and rubbed circles on his lower back.

“Kyungsoo, are you alright?” Chanyeol expressed his concern.

Kyungsoo only nodded. He couldn’t respond because every time he tried to say something, he only ended up retching even harder, even when there was nothing in his stomach to expel.

“That was dangerous,” Sehun commented, with both hands around his waist as he got back to his feet, “It’s windy here. Your fire could have gotten out of control.”

“I had to do it,” Chanyeol reasoned, “-besides I am able to control it just fine.”

Sehun sighed, “Whatever, at least we’re safe for now.”

Kyungsoo began crying, sniffling and dripping snot from his nose while his mouth still reeked of vomit. Kyungsoo sobbed, “I want to go back to Vuur now.”

“What’s wrong?” Sehun fidgeted, fearing something was wrong, “Did you get hurt?”

Kyungsoo shook his head, “No, I don’t want to go on missions anymore. I’m so sorry, I can’t fight like this. I just want to go where it’s safe until I give birth. I’m really sorry for troubling the both of you.”

“You’re not trouble, Kyungsoo. Please don’t say that. You never are and never will be,” Chanyeol assured, pulling Kyungsoo into a hug, not caring that Kyungsoo was really disheveled and was still stained by vomit.

“I guess our next destination is back to Vuur then?” Sehun supposed, exhaling as he felt the sea breeze on his face while the three of them stood on the cliff at the edge of the town.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

Like Kyungsoo wanted, and how Sehun and Chanyeol always obliged, the trio returned to Vuur after the mission on Rasaoir. When they were about to leave the mountainous planet and picking their reward up, even the president seemed to notice and take note of Kyungsoo’s growing belly that was absent the last time they were there.

Being emotional, Kyungsoo stormed off and hid on Umi until they left and arrived on Vuur again.

 

 

Back on Vuur, Kyungsoo finally allowed Chanyeol to tell Youngmi about the pregnancy after almost 22 weeks of being pregnant.

Youngmi was ecstatic and excited to tell the Vuurians about the child that would be the symbol of unity between their two races, but she had to withhold herself for the sake of Kyungsoo and the unborn child’s safety.

Kunryun remained ominously silent and they had indefinitely suspended all trade agreements with Vuur too since the incident involving Kyungsoo reviving the dying star. There was no telling what they had in mind within their silence.

Thus, the pregnancy remained a secret between just a few selected trusted people.

 

 

 

 

It was the hottest season on Vuur and even in the Northern city where it was supposed to be cooler, the temperature remained uncomfortable especially for Kyungsoo who was now advancing into his later stages of pregnancy.

Kyungsoo didn’t like staying indoors all day, unable to do anything, because it bored him to death and he was starting to feel depressed from being home-bound.

But it was not like he could just go outside and roam around because it was either too hot or he didn’t want to risk people finding out he was pregnant. At 25 weeks pregnant, not even loose clothes and robes could hide the fact that Kyungsoo was very much pregnant, especially with the way his belly was showing.

 

 

Then, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol began worrying about whose traits their child would be inheriting. Since no Gauean had ever had a child with someone out of their own race, there was no way in telling which parent’s traits the baby would be getting.

They worried that the baby wouldn’t be able to stand the heat on Vuur if they inherited Kyungsoo’s traits. And if the baby ended up inheriting Chanyeol’s traits, they worried that the baby wouldn’t be able to handle the cold if they ended up moving somewhere colder.

 

 

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo brought up their worries to Youngmi, who then suggested they moved to Nue’vuur, the agrarian planet that had been settled by two Vuurian tribes who had left Vuur when their star was dying.

Nue’vuur was a planet slightly smaller than Vuur and located within the Central sector of the galaxy, just three days away by starship. The planet was inhabited by 20 million Vuurians who had moved from their home planet.

Nue’vuur boasted a temperate climate with constant rainfall all year-round. Although it was still cold by Vuurian standards, it was tolerable and the fertile lands and soil had drawn the attention of the two Vuurian tribes, who had settled as farmers on the planet.

Furthermore, it was also where Chanyeol’s estranged father had moved to when he too left Vuur during the original mass migration and diaspora.

 

 

 

 

With the help of Chanyeol’s father, Sungjin, Chanyeol moved to Nue’vuur with Kyungsoo and Sehun. Sungjin gifted them a few acres of his farmland with a homestead on it, somewhere in the lush valley beside a dormant volcano near a beach with fine black sand.

In the new house, Sehun had a room to himself while Chanyeol and Kyungsoo shared the larger room together.

Umi was parked out on the beach where she could use the ocean as her runway, so they could leave and come back with the starship conveniently since Nue'vuur lacked the infrastructure of a space dock and elevator. 

The move was also kept secret, and while they lived on the homestead, a doctor would come up once every two weeks to do house visits and check up on Kyungsoo.

 

 

Chanyeol was very relieved that Kyungsoo liked being on Nue’vuur, especially when Kyungsoo said how the winds in the valley reminded him of the winds on Kunryun. It was the best Chanyeol could do to cure Kyungsoo of his homesickness, for a home that he couldn’t return to.

Kyungsoo could go out as much as he pleased, and he was able to do something even if it was just maintaining the irrigation system for their vegetables and to service the droids they used to harvest with.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

Kyungsoo had entered his 29th week of pregnancy, whereby the doctor now came every week for the checkups, as the due date was coming closer by the day.

They had made arrangements for an at-home delivery when the baby was due. Sehun and Chanyeol had built a crib for the baby, which they put in a corner of the room Chanyeol and Kyungsoo slept in.

Youngmi and Sungjin had pitched in to buy the supplies and necessities, even going as far to buy it from other planets and have it delivered on Nue’vuur.

 

 

Sehun had left on a brief mission alone, leaving Kyungsoo and Chanyeol on Nue’vuur. It was supposed to be a simple mission so Chanyeol decided to stay behind with Kyungsoo, not wanting to leave Kyungsoo alone if that was possible.

Chanyeol woke up that morning to find the other side of the bed empty. Even if Kyungsoo woke up first, he’d fix up his side of the bed at least, but the bed was still unmade.

Chanyeol looked towards the toilet attached to their room, thinking that Kyungsoo had just gone up to pee, which was the usual case now that he was heavily pregnant. But Kyungsoo wasn’t there either.

Chanyeol left their room to go out into their circular living room, only to find the entire house empty with their back door left half open and ajar.

 

 

Chanyeol began to worry the worst and stormed out of the house bare-footed, through the back door and directly into their vegetable patch growing outside.

Chanyeol saw footprints that weren’t his on the soil and he followed them down between the rows of growing vegetables. Until he found Kyungsoo squatting on the ground looking very round and pulling the growth directly from the soil bed.

“What? I’m hungry,” Kyungsoo mumbled, biting a leaf off and immediately chewing it.

Chanyeol couldn’t help but laugh as he tried to compose himself, “I’m sorry, I just can’t take you seriously right now. You look so angry but cute right now.”

“This is your fault! You put a baby in me which made me have all these weird cravings.” Kyungsoo accused, before biting the stalk directly.

“I know and I take responsibility for that,” Chanyeol too squatted on the ground, joining Kyungsoo there as he pulled a few of the vegetables out from the soil, “I’ll cook this for you, alright? Let’s go inside.”

“Can you make it crispy?” Kyungsoo requested, looking very excited with cheeks puffed from the vegetables he had been stuffing into his mouth.

“It’ll be crispy then,” Chanyeol confirmed, helping Kyungsoo to his feet.

Hearing that made Kyungsoo very happy, and he sure did need the help standing up again, what not with the belly that was growing larger and heavier by the day.

 

 

 ~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

Around the 32nd week of pregnancy, both Sehun and Chanyeol had to leave for a mission together that needed at least two people to be carried out. It was just a short mission and they would be home by the same week.

Kyungsoo was left with Chanyeol’s father, Sungjin, although Kyungsoo made a big fuss about being left behind. Being emotional while heavily pregnant didn’t help either.

 

When they had to leave, Kyungsoo was pulling on to Sehun and Chanyeol, crying and thrashing about being abandoned, afraid they would never return and he would have to raise the baby alone.

With Sungjin and a few of his assistant’s help, they managed to restrain and calm Kyungsoo down enough for Sehun and Chanyeol to depart, even with Kyungsoo threatening to crash a moon down onto the planet.

 

 

If it weren’t for the baby, Kyungsoo wouldn’t even bother to eat or sleep while Sehun and Chanyeol were away. Kyungsoo didn’t want to trouble anyone else further, and he faked a smile and lied that he was alright whenever Sungjin asked him how he was doing.

To pass the time, Kyungsoo helped service and fix the machines in the various homesteads on the individual farmlands belonging to the Vuurian settlers. When Kyungsoo was doing something that would benefit others, he felt a little bit better and was able to forget his worries even for a while.

 

Every night that week, Kyungsoo would look out at the night sky and in the stars under the wind as he awaited their return. Kyungsoo wouldn’t come back into the house until Sungjin invited him back in.

One night, Sungjin draped a coat over Kyungsoo and waited with him out there to assure him that he wasn’t alone.

The next day, Chanyeol and Sehun returned during a starry night. Chanyeol was the one crying and saying how he won’t leave ever again, while Kyungsoo laughed at him and looked up to the sky as an idea popped in his head.

Pregnancy was sure a weird phase for Kyungsoo.

 

 

 ~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

39 weeks into the pregnancy, just 5 more weeks away from the expected due date, Chanyeol was awoken in the middle of the night by Kyungsoo calling out to him from the toilet attached to their room.

Chanyeol was groggy and tired but he would do anything for Kyungsoo, and so he got out of bed and walked over to the toilet half-asleep to see what was up.

 

There in the middle of the toilet, Kyungsoo was standing with his pants around his feet, looking a bit dejected with a big fat belly and a swollen chest that had grown larger in the past few weeks.

“What’s up?” Chanyeol yawned.

“I can’t even bend over and put my pants back on,” Kyungsoo whined, “I can’t even see my own toes!”

Chanyeol squatted on the toilet floor in front of Kyungsoo and looked down, “I see all ten of your toes there. It’s all fine,” Chanyeol then tilted his head up to smile at Kyungsoo.

“Just help me put my pants back on, please,” Kyungsoo resigned himself to defeat.

“Of course,” Chanyeol obliged as he helped pull the loose pants up from the floor around Kyungsoo’s ankles, and gently up to Kyungsoo’s waistline that had all disappeared because of the belly.

Chanyeol tied the laces of the pants around Kyungsoo, snug but also loose enough, while Kyungsoo was looking up at the ceiling.

 

Then, Chanyeol rested a palm on Kyungsoo’s belly, feeling some slight movements from their unborn child inside.

Chanyeol couldn’t help but smile and bend down to press a kiss on Kyungsoo’s cheek, “You’re doing well, you know. I’m so proud of you.”

“You too,” Kyungsoo returned, smiling too.

“I’m so happy for all of us. I wouldn’t have anyone else other than you to have our baby,” Chanyeol cooed, resting his forehead against Kyungsoo’s.

“You’ll make a good father,” Kyungsoo praised, already calming down from his earlier fit.

“ _We’ll_ be good fathers,” Chanyeol corrected.

“We’re just doing our best,” Kyungsoo reminded them of the motto he had been living by.

“-and we’ll continue to do our best,” Chanyeol mentioned, pulling Kyungsoo into a hug with their unborn child between them.

 

 

 ~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

The baby arrived three and a half weeks early, which was actually considered normal for a Gauean’s first pregnancy.

Not even 41 weeks pregnant, Kyungsoo went into labor in the wee hours of the night while the entire house was asleep.

 

 

Kyungsoo was asleep and woke up in the middle of the night, feeling that the bed was wet beneath him. Kyungsoo at first thought he might have peed himself, which had happened a few times while he was pregnant.

But the small and distanced contractions he was already feeling told him otherwise. Kyungsoo quickly woke up Chanyeol, who woke up Sehun in return.

The doctor was called and after Kyungsoo described the contractions and how far they were in between, Kyungsoo was told to rest for a few more hours because he still had a long labor to go through first.

Gaueans were notoriously known for having longer than average labors too. Kyungsoo even had the time to eat at the table while in the midst of his contractions.

 

 

 

Everyone in the house tried to get a few more hours sleep until the sun came up when the doctor arrived with Sungjin at their homestead.

Then, the room was cleared up and prepared for Kyungsoo to give birth.

 

This time, Kyungsoo was the calm one while Chanyeol and even Sehun were very visibly nervous. Despite being in pain, Kyungsoo was the one assuring the both of them that everything would be fine, and how excited they would be that the baby would be here very soon.

While Sehun and Sungjin rushed around the house to get warm water, towels and everything the doctor asked for, Chanyeol held Kyungsoo’s hand throughout the whole ordeal.

 

 

After 13 hours of labor, just as the sun was about to set that day, Kyungsoo delivered a baby girl. Chanyeol cut the umbilical cord and he was the first one to hold the baby after the doctor had delivered her into the world. 

Sehun and Sungjin stood outside the door, with arms over each other’s shoulders as they were too happy at becoming a grand-uncle and grandfather respectively.

 

“Byul,” Kyungsoo said, tired and exhausted from all the pushing, “That’s her name.”

“Byul- the star. She’s beautiful,” Chanyeol cried in happiness.

“I need you to do something too,” Kyungsoo immediately told the doctor, “Inform the Queen that I have given birth to a girl and that her name is Byul. Tell the Queen to make an official announcement and make sure Kunryun hears about it too.”

“-but why?” The doctor was baffled, “I thought we were supposed to hide this.”

Everyone else was also stunned to hear what Kyungsoo had to say.

“-because I cannot run anymore. I don’t want to raise my daughter in a world where she has to fear for her life and constantly needs to run as I did,” Kyungsoo gently spoke, despite the ominous meaning behind what he really meant.

 

Maybe Kyungsoo was right and Chanyeol was wrong. That Kyungsoo wasn't that much different of a Gauean compared to others.

 

 


	9. Galaxy

 

After giving birth, it didn’t take long for Kyungsoo to bounce back and return to his job as a mercenary alongside Sehun and Chanyeol.

Kyungsoo gave himself to time to heal and recuperate, but he quickly lost all the weight he had gained during pregnancy and returned to training and exercising to make sure he was fit and mobile like he always had been.

 

When Byul turned three months old, Kyungsoo gradually weaned her off breastfeeding so he could leave Nue’vuur to go on longer missions.

When possible, Kyungsoo or Chanyeol would still prefer remaining on the planet, although some missions required all three of them to participate. In that case, Byul was left with Sungjin where she could be bottle-fed without any problems, which was what Kyungsoo had intended for all along.

Youngmi had come on secret trips to Nue’vuur to visit Byul twice since then. For Byul and Kyungsoo’s sake, she had to be discreet and couldn’t come regularly as she pleased because she was afraid of being followed or someone would suspect where they were hiding.

 

There was no room to laze around and be comfortable, especially when Kunryun knew Kyungsoo had a child now, although they still did not know where in the galaxy he was and had yet to make any action to show that they were coming after him. Nue’vuur proved to be a good hideout and home for them.

Even most of the Vuurians had no idea where Kyungsoo and Chanyeol were, although they were made aware of Byul’s birth. Kunryun had remained silent and the trade agreements with Vuur had been suspended ever since the day Kyungsoo brought life back to the Vuurian star.

 

 

                                              

 

Although things were tranquil for now, and as much as they wished for it to last, they knew this wouldn’t be the case. Kyungsoo knew that it wouldn’t be long before they were discovered and he would have to do the inevitable, which was to return to Kunryun and settle things there once and for all.

For now, an uneventful five months had passed since Byul was born.

 

 

Byul had lost all of the fine baby hair she had when she was born. As of the moment, she was bald and the adults around her were beginning to take guesses if she’d follow after Kyungsoo’s darker hair, Chanyeol’s lighter hair or maybe something in between.

She was able to sit up by herself for a while without any support, although she had to be supervised constantly.

Byul now slept throughout the night uninterrupted, and during the day she was mostly napping too, which finally gave time for the adults to have their own rest which they had lacked from since her birth.

 

 

One afternoon, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol were home on their homestead on Nue’vuur, giving their infant daughter a bath after she had soiled herself in her diapers after lunch, not even long after they had previously cleaned her up.

Kyungsoo was holding up Byul in the baby tub filled with warm water, placed atop their kitchen counter while Chanyeol was cleaning and wiping off their daughter.

 

“You stinky girl,” Chanyeol playfully teased, baby talking to their daughter while he wiped her back off with a soft sponge.

Byul did not understand what was being said but she laughed, probably at the funny face Chanyeol was making.

“She laughs like you,” Kyungsoo commented, holding their daughter up in a semi-standing position in the tub so Chanyeol could reach around.

“Wait till she learns how to talk. Then she’s probably going to sound like you,” Chanyeol responded, squeezing the sponge and dipping it again into the warm water.

“I have a feeling our daughter will pick up the Gauean language faster than you will,” Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow, looking at Chanyeol.

“She’ll learn both languages and the Anam lingua franca too,” Chanyeol insisted, helping Kyungsoo carry Byul out of the tub and onto the towel they had laid out on the kitchen counter.

“Then Sehun, Byul and I will have all these conversations you won’t understand without a translator,” Kyungsoo joked.

Chanyeol turned Byul over on the towel as he dried her off, “I’m picking it up okay. Unlike her, I’m already old. Children pick up languages easier, everyone knows that.”

“I know, you’ll get there,” Kyungsoo believed, as he bent down to the drawers to get diapers out.

 

While Chanyeol held up Byul, Kyungsoo slipped the diapers on and fastened it around their daughter. Then, Kyungsoo reached for some dry baby clothes he and Chanyeol helped put Byul into.

“By the way, isn’t Sehun coming home soon today?” Chanyeol asked as Kyungsoo was slipping their daughter into her clothing.

“Soon? Umi is already parked out on the beach. I saw it from the window,” Kyungsoo pointed out.

“What? Really? For how long?” Chanyeol then carried Byul to his chest once she was dressed.

“-since the past half hour or so already. He’s probably going through the diagnostics and post-flight procedures. He should be here soon.” Kyungsoo added, clearing up the countertop.

“Okay then, I must have not heard it land. I’ll go put Byul to sleep first,” Chanyeol informed, carrying their daughter off to the crib.

“Alright,” Kyungsoo remained in the kitchen, clearing the place up, disposing the diapers and washing the tub.

 

 

Chanyeol put Byul to sleep on her back in the crib. Chanyeol sat in the chair beside the crib as he rocked it to put her to sleep, softly humming a Vuurian children’s song until he was sure that she went to sleep.

Chanyeol could hear faint noises outside the room from the door being opened and shut again, Sehun coming in and later talking lowly to Kyungsoo about something he couldn’t make up.

When Byul had gone to sleep, Chanyeol slowly and carefully removed her rattling toys from inside the crib before keeping them all in the designated box.

Only then, he left the room to find Sehun and Kyungsoo standing around in the living room talking to each other.

 

“Guess, what I brought back from Anam!?” Sehun announced, directed towards Chanyeol.

“-political freedom?” Chanyeol joked.

“Not close,” Sehun shook his head.

Standing next to Sehun, Kyungsoo chuckled.

“I have no idea,” Chanyeol gave up.

Sehun tossed a soft package wrapped in brown paper towards Chanyeol as he revealed, “I got new clothes for Byul. There were so many on sale in Anam and they all looked so cute that I had to get it. Do you reckon she’ll like it? Some of it is big but she can grow into it.”

“She’s 22 weeks old, I don’t think she has a taste in clothes yet,” Kyungsoo suggested.

“You went to Anam to get supplies and you came back with baby clothes?” Chanyeol almost wanted to laugh, “I appreciate it though. Thank you. We just gave her a bath and changed her clothes though. She can wear this next time.”

“Of course,” Sehun boomed, “I can’t help but be a proud grand-uncle. I’m not going to have children of my own so when am I ever going to have the opportunity to dote on a child?”

“I can see why you spoil Kyungsoo so much,” Chanyeol teased.

“I’m not spoiled,” Kyungsoo retorted.

“Okay, maybe not,” Chanyeol backpedaled.

“It’s fine,” Kyungsoo smiled, “I just wanted to see how you’d react.”

“Ah, teasing on me like usual,” Chanyeol shrugged, smiling himself too.

 

“By the way,” Sehun then spoke up, “While I was back on Anam, I went to check up on our apartment there. The lease is up so it’s not ours anymore. I had to take back all our stuff we left behind while we were running away. The landlord had thrown them all into storage. It’s on the starship and you two can take it out whenever you want.”

“Anam, huh? I haven’t even been there in over a year since we left Myolhada. The only thing I miss is the news,” Chanyeol recalled.

“It’s better to raise a child here. The air is cleaner and it’s not so busy,” Kyungsoo mentioned.

“It is indeed,” Sehun agreed, “There’s no telling if we’re safe to go back to Anam whatnot with how suspiciously quiet Kunryun is being. Quiet usually means trouble in Gauean terms.”

“We should be okay for the time being,” Kyungsoo tried to assure, looking away to avert their gazes, “I’ll take care of it if anything goes wrong.”

“No, _we’ll_ take care of it,” Chanyeol corrected, “You’re not alone anymore, Kyungsoo. You have us now.”

“-and you’ll always have me,” Sehun chimed in.

 

Kyungsoo smiled and nodded, affirming their reassurance but somehow he was still scared that it would mean he stood to risk losing more people he loved and treasure for.

It wasn’t like on Kunryun when he only had himself to worry about. It was different now, and Kyungsoo had seen the change coming from far away when he first found out he was pregnant.

Kyungsoo had brought another person into the world, without them asking for it, and Kyungsoo saw it as his responsibility to give Byul the best he could.

It was even worse when he held Byul in his arms for the first time. At the moment, Kyungsoo felt extremely fragile and temporary. Because if he weren’t there to protect his daughter and fix things rights so she could grow up safe, then what would be of her?

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

Kyungsoo and even Chanyeol and Sehun’s greatest fear happened not even two weeks later. Sehun was away earning them money when it happened, leaving Chanyeol and Kyungsoo with Byul on Nue’vuur.

It was a cool, cloudy day so Chanyeol had Byul in a baby sling, carrying her in front of his chest while he inspected their vegetable patches and rows of growth outside. Byul seemed to be happy and smiling when Chanyeol showed her the plants and the surroundings since they had only started taking her out of the home recently.

Kyungsoo was in the house, running a routine maintenance check on their harvesting droids because their vegetables would be ready to harvest in a week or so. They would gather all their harvest with the droids, which Sungjin would pick up and then help ship off to Vuur or other planets

 

 

As Chanyeol was walking around and showing his daughter around the vegetable patch, the water sprinklers turned on and Chanyeol was startled by it happening.

Chanyeol instinctively wrapped his arms around Byul to protect her, even if the water spray was mostly below his waist and did not reach Byul up against his chest.

Chanyeol turned around to see if he had might accidentally set off the sprinkler system, but instead, he saw at the far end of his vegetable patch, about five men dressed in black capes with swords around their waists. They were just standing there, looking on at him, unbothered from the water sprinklers even after trudging on it.

Before Chanyeol could even think or figure out who they were, one of the men lifted his hand to the sky.

 

Chanyeol too looked to the sky and saw the moon eclipsing the star, even if a solar eclipse was not due to happen for another few years on Nue’vuur.

Chanyeol didn’t need to think to figure out who they were now. The capes, sword and the power to control the moon were enough to scream, Gauean.

As Chanyeol made the mad dash back the other way to their homestead, screaming out for Kyungsoo while clutching onto their daughter in the baby sling around his chest, Chanyeol already suspected why they blocked out the star.

They knew Chanyeol was a Vuurian who needed heat to conjure his powers, and the star was one of the main sources of that. They wanted Chanyeol to be powerless so he couldn’t put up a fight against them.

 

 

“Kyungsoo!” Chanyeol did not stop yelling as he was nearing the door of their home. Chanyeol had heard so many tales about Gaueans and he did not fear for his life, but that of his husband and daughter.

As Chanyeol arrived, panting and out of breath at their door while Byul began to cry, the door swung open and Kyungsoo quickly pulled Chanyeol back into the house.

“Hide! Go to your father and don’t leave until I come back for you!” Kyungsoo instructed, fear evidently displayed in his eyes as he held his sheathed sword.

“No-“ Chanyeol tried to protest.

“Just go!” Kyungsoo almost shouted.

Holding back tears, Chanyeol sucked it up and ran out the door at the other end of the house, while Kyungsoo went out to face the Gaueans who had arrived for him.

 

 

 

While Kyungsoo was servicing the droids, he had been alerted of the water sprinklers being triggered on the control panel inside the house.

Kyungsoo then looked at the cameras display to see what it was, only to find his people and a very familiar looking one standing among them.

 

After Kyungsoo was sure that Chanyeol had fled with Byul, Kyungsoo walked out on the rows of vegetables that had been trodden over, with his sword in one hand to face the Gaueans who came after him.

The eclipse ended the moment Kyungsoo stepped out, as the star once again began to shine down on the planet like it was supposed to.

 

 

 

As another wind blew down the mountain and rushed into the valleys, the man controlling the moon unveiled his cape in front of Kyungsoo as the four other Gaueans to either of his side.

Kyungsoo already recognized him from the camera feed, but now he was certainly sure that he was seeing his oldest brother, Baekhyun, standing in front of him in person.

 

“I can’t believe this is the ramshackle place you decided to settle in,” Baekhyun jeered, with a tone of disgust as he looked around.

“That’s none of your business and I actually like it here,” Kyungsoo retorted, standing his ground.

“That’s expected. You’ve always been that odd one out even on Kunryun,” Baekhyun stated, “No one was even surprised when we heard that you had a bastard child with a Vuurian to boot. We sort of figured that one out.”

Kyungsoo did not respond to that, standing his ground and not breaking the eye-contact he had with Baekhyun.

“Where’s Sehun by the way? Is he still the raging madman who keeps laughing and running away like I remembered him to be? I saw him when I was on Anam but he threw a couch at me. I almost got the both of you there,” Baekhyun revealed.

“I don’t care. You need to leave and never return here again!” Kyungsoo demanded.

Baekhyun completely ignored Kyungsoo’s demands as he jumped into the next question, “That man just now was your husband, wasn’t he? And the baby is your mutt of a child? I seriously believed you could do better than that but who knew.”

Kyungsoo drew his sword, holding it ready and bracing to fight.

Baekhyun chuckled seeing that, “Rest assured, I didn’t come here to fight you. I’m only here to take you back to Kunryun because of the Chancellor’s orders. He wants you home.”

“Go home and take care of your own children,” Kyungsoo hissed, “I’m not going with you.”

“Are you sure?” Baekhyun folded his arms over his chest, stretching a foot slightly forward, “This is your first warning, do you realize that? If you do not come back with me, he will personally send his own unit down here after you.”

“This planet is a territory of Vuur! I am a subject of the planet, Vuur. If you extract me from this planet, you are committing an act of war against a foreign nation. We may be strong but Kunryun will never have the numbers to go against Vuur!” Kyungsoo threatened.

“Did you know that Kunryun doesn’t allow dual citizenship either, and your Vuurian citizenship is considered illegal and void in our eyes?” Baekhyun casually reminded Kyungsoo, “You are a citizen of Kunryun forever and will always be! Now don’t tell me you forgot that too?”

“-just leave now! Please don’t make me fight you!” Kyungsoo repeated, already frustrated almost to the point of losing it.

“Then would you rather the Chancellor’s own personal unit comes here to take you away? You know he’s not going to stop even if you hide in the furthest corner of the galaxy. A Gauean always will return to Kunryun no matter how far they go!” Baekhyun informed, not too concerned for Kyungsoo’s behalf.

“I know,” Kyungsoo admitted, grabbing tighter onto the handle of his sword, “I don’t deny that and I don’t pretend I’m not a Gauean who isn't bound to Kunryun either. But I will return by my own volition.”

“-why not now then? We have a ship ready for you,” Baekhyun tried to persuade.

“You and all of Kunryun will see it very soon,” Kyungsoo told, staring right into his older brother’s eyes, with a gaze that was ominously calm.

With arms still over his chest, Baekhyun only squinted his eyes as he looked on at Kyungsoo, trying to assume what it was Kyungsoo was up to.

 

 

 

 

Chanyeol had run off to his father’s place with Byul when the Gaueans arrive on their farm. There, they gathered a few other Vuurian guards and were about to leave for Chanyeol’s homestead to supposedly rescue Kyungsoo, only for Kyungsoo to enter Sungjin’s house and throw his sword on a chair before slumping down in front of the table.

“They left,” Kyungsoo muttered, holding his head between his hands, “-but who knows when they’ll be back?”

“Kyungsoo, what happened?” Chanyeol immediately rushed to the table to hold Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo sighed, “My oldest brother, Baekhyun, was sent by our Chancellor to bring me back to Kunryun. Baekhyun was the same person who tried to look for us when we were on Anam. I called Sehun already and told him what happened. He’s on his way back here now.”

“Is that all…and your brother just left like that?” Chanyeol was still in shock, albeit a bit relieved to see Kyungsoo unharmed.

Kyungsoo began breaking into tears at the table, “He left but I don’t know for how long. It takes at least 11 days from Kunryun to here. I have a feeling that within another 11 days, another bigger Kunryun ship with stronger people will be making their way here.”

“We have to leave once Sehun is here then,” Chanyeol immediately said, looking up at his father from across the room, who was also looking worried on behalf of them.

“-and then go where?” Kyungsoo questioned in the midst of the tears falling down his reddened face.

“There are thousands of different planets we can go to! I’m sure Sehun knows a place we can go to,” Chanyeol tried to suggest.

“No,” Kyungsoo shook his head, with his hands still pressed at the sides of his head, “We can’t keep running. I can’t keep doing this. This is what I feared the most and it is already happening now.”

“That’s why we have to keep our daughter safe and leave,” Chanyeol insisted, squeezing Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

Kyungsoo continued to repeat, “No. This is not what I want- to keep running away.” Kyungsoo grabbed onto Chanyeol’s hand that was touching him and looked up into Chanyeol’s eye, “Do you know why I told your mother to make the announcement that I have given birth? It’s because I wanted a solid selfish reason for me to want to return to Kunryun. I basically lured them here!”

Chanyeol froze, intimidated by Kyungsoo as he mustered up the courage to continue to speak, “-and what do you plan to do now?”

“I’m going to return to Kunryun and take over the position as Chancellor,” Kyungsoo firmly declared, “If I defeat him and become the Chancellor myself; no one will ever hunt us anymore.”

“That sounds like too much. It’s crazy,” Chanyeol protested, “You’ll get yourself hurt or killed! Let’s just wait for Sehun to come back and decide where to go next.”

“-and then what?” Kyungsoo stood up, pushing the chair back with him as he spoke firmly, “Keep running until we run out of planets and moons to hide on? Run away until the end of time? Until the universe ends? I told you that this isn’t the life I want our daughter to be accustomed to. I’ve stayed here long enough playing house with you. It’s time for me to deal with things now!”

“Then what about me?” Chanyeol stood, baffled, “Have you ever thought about how your actions will affect me too?”

“This hurts me too, Chanyeol. But I’m doing this for all of us,” Kyungsoo’s voice dropped, “It will benefit not just our daughter but also you, and the Vuurian relations with Kunryun too when I become Chancellor.”

“That’s an _if_ , Kyungsoo. There’s no guarantee you can defeat him and take his position. What happens if you fail? He’s the strongest of the strongest out there!” Chanyeol argued, “I’m not trying to stop you or anything, you know. I just want the best for all of us too but what you’re doing is crazy.”

“Crazy runs in my blood,” Kyungsoo smiled sadly in between tears, “You can tell me how different I am but that will never change who I really am.”

“No, I know you. You’re not like that. You’re not like them,” Chanyeol softly murmured, shaking his head, denying Kyungsoo as he too felt the tears welling up within him.

Kyungsoo had the guts to take on the Chancellor of Kunryun, but not to look up into his husband’s eyes and tell him otherwise.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

When Sehun returned later that day, after Baekhyun had paid Kyungsoo a visit on Nue’vuur; the trio gathered around and had another discussion on their next course of action.

Sehun sided with Kyungsoo on the notion that both of them were due to return to Kunryun, while Chanyeol was very much against the idea. It was crazy, Gaueans were crazy and Chanyeol was beginning to believe that now.

 

 

In the next few days, they were informed that Baekhyun had made a pit stop on Vuur before returning to Kunryun.

There, Baekhyun relayed the Chancellor of Kunryun’s message to Youngmi, which demanded Kyungsoo and Sehun’s extradition and how Kunryun didn’t recognize Vuur’s protection on them.

Youngmi pretended to not know where Kyungsoo and Sehun were, but Baekhyun knew better and still demanded Sehun and Kyungsoo’s return within the next two months.

 

 

Upon hearing that, Chanyeol quickly changed his mind and now decided that he too would come along with Sehun and Kyungsoo back to Kunryun.

Chanyeol knew it was morbid but he pretended to be excited about getting to finally see Kunryun, which he had heard a lot about and always wanted to see but never got the opportunity to.

Sehun looked sad for Chanyeol when he said just that, and Kyungsoo had to pull Chanyeol aside to tell him that he had to stay and take care of Byul because things just weren’t the same like before they a child together.

Because it was to prepare for if Kyungsoo and Sehun never returned, then at least Byul would have Chanyeol left.

It was a hard truth to swallow but they all were forced to accept it. Slowly, Chanyeol had to come with the terms that he would have to be on Nue’vuur alone with Byul without Sehun and his beloved, Kyungsoo.

 

Then, Kyungsoo personally contacted Kunryun by himself for the first time in over two years, to tell them that he and Sehun were coming home, and there was no need to threaten Vuur or come after Chanyeol and Byul to get to him.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

The night before Kyungsoo and Sehun left, after they had loaded and refueled Umi for the trip back to Kunryun, Kyungsoo was walking down the beach with Chanyeol who was carrying their sleeping daughter.

The moon was hidden by clouds that night as a warm breeze blew out from the ocean, while the three of them strolled down the fine black sand that covered the beach.

 

“I still wish I could go with you,” Chanyeol hoped, as they stood looking out at the sea under the stars that were visible in the night sky with the moon out of view.

“That’s wishful thinking but it’s safer for you here. I never wanted us to be apart too. If I had it my way, I’d never want to leave too but it has come down to this,” Kyungsoo thought so too.

“I’ll miss you and Sehun too,” Chanyeol spoke softly, looking down at an asleep Byul in the baby sling and then at Kyungsoo towards his side.

“You better tell Sehun that then,” Kyungsoo smiled, looking out at the ocean and hearing the soft sounds of the waves coming to shore.

“I will, of course,” Chanyeol too smiled.

“I’ll come back. One way or the other,” Kyungsoo vowed, moving to stand in front of Chanyeol with their daughter between them, “I promise I will, no matter how long it takes for me to do it.”

Chanyeol began to tear up as he caressed Kyungsoo’s cheek with one hand, holding Kyungsoo’s hand with another, “-please don’t go for too long. Byul and I need here you too.”

“I know,” Kyungsoo sniffled, holding back his tears,

“Why can’t we keep in contact while you’re in Kunryun?” Chanyeol asked, “I think it would kill me if I didn’t know whether you and Sehun are alright or not.”

“-because I made a deal with Baekhyun to keep my whereabouts a secret to the Chancellor, on the promise that I will return within the two months that we were given,” Kyungsoo had to explain, “When I’m on Kunryun, they will monitor where all the messages I sent go out too. They’ll find you and Byul here.”

“Why are your people- like that?” Chanyeol laughed in tears, at the morbidity of their situation.

“I wish I knew too,” Kyungsoo shrugged, “I did so much for Kunryun and I’m still being treated like this. I am hardly surprised or disappointed anymore.”

“How would I know how you were doing then?” Chanyeol sobbed, framing Kyungsoo’s face in his hand, trying to keep quiet for their sleeping daughter.

“The star that Kunryun orbits around is named Kyungsoo. I was named after the star because my mother wanted me to be a great person. I know it’s too far to look at from here but in the right season and conditions or on a star map, you’ll be able to,” Kyungsoo informed, “Look in the star and you know where I’m close to.”

“I know the star was named Kyungsoo, you dummy,” Chanyeol smiled in the midst of the tears and harrow.

“Then you know I’ll always be with you two even from afar,” Kyungsoo lowered his head down to kiss a sleeping Byul on the forehead, before lifting his head back up to then kiss Chanyeol under the starlit sky.

Chanyeol never recalled crying harder in his life until that night.

 

 

 

 

The next day, on a grey overcast morning, Sehun and Chanyeol embraced each other in a long tight hug, where Chanyeol cried harder and Sehun too ended up crying a little. Sehun held Byul too one last time, playing with her and her toys for a while.

It felt as if they were going off to war from the looks of it because, for the first time, Chanyeol saw both Sehun and Kyungsoo dressed in their Gauean capes and military uniform with a sword by the side of their waists as they boarded Umi.

 

Chanyeol, together with Byul, Sungjin and a few of his father’s servants, saw off Kyungsoo and Sehun at the beach, without knowing how long they would be gone or if they would ever return. Youngmi had been informed of it and she had called them the previous night, wishing them a safe journey and return.

Byul was only six and a half months old, still too young to understand anything. Chanyeol was a bit grateful that she was still that young because it would save him the pain of trying to explain where her other father and grand-uncle went off.

 

With a picture of all four of them taken by Sungjin, pinned on the flight controls, Sehun and Kyungsoo departed the planet on Umi without knowing themselves if they would ever return.

Thus, Sehun and Kyungsoo returned to Kunryun like the old saying which said that all Gaueans would eventually make their way back to Kunryun no matter how far they went or how long they were gone. Almost as if the universe had intended for it to be that way all the time.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

Like the grey morning which Kyungsoo and Sehun left on, the following days always appeared grey and empty for Chanyeol too.

Chanyeol had to wake up in a bed alone, although he would smile to see Byul sleeping right there beside him. Then, Chanyeol had to get out of bed and into the house that was too empty without Kyungsoo and Sehun there.

The loneliness was dreadful, although Sungjin often came around with his servants to babysit and help around the house and their farm.

 

The nights seem longer and even more painful when alone. All the food he ate lost flavor, work didn’t leave him feeling satisfied and Chanyeol had to take down a picture of all of them together because he couldn’t bear to look at it anymore without getting emotional, or feeling like he'd burst into tears at any moment.

There ceased to be anything that pleasured or gave him something could look forward to. At one point, Chanyeol felt like giving up because of the dreadful loneliness he had been left to deal with.

Chanyeol never recalled feeling this cold inside.

 

 

One morning, Chanyeol couldn’t even bother to get out of bed until he heard Byul crying from her crib, near the bed. It was Byul’s cries that stirred him to get up, to make her milk and to rock her to sleep back again.

After that, Chanyeol broke down in tears by himself beside Byul’s crib when he realized that it had been a full month, and Chanyeol had been raising their daughter alone since then.

Knowing that, Chanyeol decided he needed to be stronger, needed to keep moving forward and needed to persevere if not for himself but for Byul. Because if Kyungsoo or Sehun never returned, he was all Byul would have left.

 

Like Kyungsoo was out there to make sure that Byul would grow up in a safe world for her, Chanyeol was there to make sure that their daughter wouldn’t grow up alone without at least one of her parent with her.

Chanyeol just feared that a day would come where Byul wouldn’t even be able to know who Kyungsoo was as a person, to even remember how Kyungsoo looked like, how Kyungsoo’s voiced sounded like and how much of a loving parent he was despite everything telling that he wouldn’t be.

 

 

 ~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

In less than four months since Kyungsoo and Sehun had left, Byul was soon turning one Anam year old. Her birthday was coming up within a few weeks and neither Chanyeol or anyone else had yet to hear from anybody on Kunryun.

Sometimes, Chanyeol was tempted to stowaway on a starship headed to Kunryun and just arrive there to find Kyungsoo or Sehun for himself, but he managed to stop himself from even considering a crazy thought.

Since then, Byul had grown so much and Chanyeol was doing rather alright, focusing most of his emotions and energy into raising his and Kyungsoo’s daughter as a single father.

 

Byul had also grown into the clothes that Sehun had gifted her when he was there. Byul was now able to eat soft foods and drink by herself from a sippy cup. She was able to walk while holding onto something, usually Chanyeol or some other furniture.

Although Byul still babbled, she was able to recognize people like Chanyeol and Sungjin and point to them if their names were called out.

It was good progress that their daughter was growing well, but it pained Chanyeol to know that she never learned Kyungsoo’s name or to recognize her own father in a group of people.

Chanyeol tried to make do by showing her a picture of Kyungsoo and even Sehun to teach her about that but it just wasn’t the same.

 

 

 

Since then, Chanyeol had been staying over with his father more often. One evening while at Sungjin’s, Chanyeol had just finished feeding Byul her dinner, giving her a bath and was about to put her to bed.

Byul was sitting on the bed, between Chanyeol’s legs, while Chanyeol was showing her a projected star map in the darkened room, displaying several holographic images of stars and planetary systems.

The door was left slightly opened and Sungjin was able to see what the father and daughter were up to in the room.

 

“You see, this star is called Kyungsoo.” Chanyeol pointed to the Kyungsoo star in the Kunryun system, moving the interactive map to display it.

“Dada Soo,” Byul babbled, trying to catch the stars, which she wasn’t able to because it was a mere projection.

“Yes, Dada Soo,” Chanyeol approved, “-he comes from this place very far away with Uncle Sehun.”

“Shun,” Byul babbled in an attempt to pronounce Sehun’s name then repeated, “Dada soo.”

As Byul repeatedly tried to reach her small hands out and catch the stars, Chanyeol was once again hit by a pang of sadness when he was reminded of Kyungsoo.

 

Chanyeol sighed deeply and quickly turned the star map off, only for Byul to throw a fit because she had been trying to catch the lights.

“It’s time to go to sleep,” Chanyeol instructed, carrying a whining Byul out of the bed and back into her own crib.

After wrangling with her for a while and telling her that it was bedtime and time to sleep, Byul finally managed to sleep and Chanyeol waited until he was sure of it.

 

 

 

Only then, Chanyeol left the room to meet his father in the kitchen and have a drink they pressed from the fruits in their own farm.

As a father to a young child, it was rare for Chanyeol to find himself in a quiet and peaceful moment where he didn’t have to do anything. Especially when he was essentially a single father for the time being, while holding onto a heavy heart that could never calm down without knowing how the two people he loved and cared for were doing.

 

“Byul is starting to remind me of you while you were growing up. All so active and feisty,” Sungjin recalled, trying to make conversation as he downed the glass of alcoholic drink.

Chanyeol snickered, feeling a bit sleepy already.

“Byul’s birthday is coming soon. What do you think we should get her?” Sungjin brought up.

“Clothes maybe? Something she can grow into. It was Sehun’s idea and it’s kind of smart actually,” Chanyeol suggested, resting his cheek on a palm.

“Sehun, huh?” Sungjin paused, “I wonder how he and Kyungsoo are doing now.”

“I wish I knew too,” Chanyeol shrugged.

“You know, when your mother told me Kyungsoo was pregnant, I was a bit skeptical if the baby was really yours,” Sungjin confessed.

“I know, because he’s a Gauean and all that,” Chanyeol spoke aloud the thought he could tell his father was thinking about.

“-True,” Sungjin admitted, “-but there’s no doubt about it now. Byul is a spitting image of yours. She has all the Vuurian hair, eyes and even has your big ears. I have no idea where you got the ears from, to be honest. Maybe your mother’s side?”

“I had to get it from either of you,” Chanyeol mumbled, lazily, smiling to himself when he was reminded of how much Kyungsoo liked his ears.

Already tipsy, Sungjin began to ask, “You reckon Byul will take after your powers or Kyungsoo? Do you think she could move the moon and stars like him too? That would be nice, huh? No wonder the Gaueans are so stingy about sharing their powers with others.”

“I have no idea,” Chanyeol expressed, “We’ll find out when she gets older and understands how it all works.”

“Come on, don’t tell me you haven’t taken a guess or bet at it too?” Sungjin hinted at.

“I really don’t know,” Chanyeol continued, “-maybe she’ll take after me because she looks more like a Vuurian? It’s just a guess though.”

“Too bad we can’t dip her in lava yet to find out,” Sungjin pondered to himself.

“Dad!” Chanyeol reacted.

“I don’t mean it,” Sungjin quickly backpedaled, “You know I’d never do that.”

“I know,” Chanyeol smiled to himself, feeling a bit lighter and less tense, even when he began to doubt if Kyungsoo or Sehun would ever return at this point.

 

 

 ~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

On Byul’s first birthday a few weeks later, Youngmi went to Nue’vuur to help organize a small private party which would be attended by Sungjin, their attendants and even the doctor that helped deliver her.

While they were in the house preparing for the birthday party, Chanyeol had brought Byul out to the flower fields outside. Even though Chanyeol had said that a one-year-old child wouldn’t really care about the surprise or not, his parents had managed to chase him and his daughter out of the house until then.

 

 

Byul was born in the time of the year when they grew flowers on the farmlands on Nue’vuur instead. Around the time of her birthday, the purple flowers growing in the fields were lush in full bloom as were the fresh spring winds that rushed into the valley from the mountains nearby.

Byul was holding onto Chanyeol’s hand while the father and daughter were walking among the flowers, while Chanyeol let Byul touch and feel the flowers for herself.

Byul stopped to pluck a flower and play with its petals, and Chanyeol sat on the ground with her to make sure she wouldn’t try to eat it, although the flower was very much edible.

 

“Flower,” Chanyeol enunciated, pointing to the flowers to try and teach her the word.

“F-f-fawa,” Byul giggled, playing with a plucked flower and petal in her palm.

“Yes, flower,” Chanyeol smiled, plucking another flower and tucking it behind his ear, “Does daddy look pretty?”

“Puwetee,” Byul jumped where she was standing in front of Chanyeol, excitedly trying to reach to the flower on Chanyeol’s ear.

“Here,” Chanyeol plucked another flower, putting it too behind his daughter’s ear, “You look pretty too now.”

Byul smiled to herself as she touched the flower tucked behind her ear, “Puwetee fawa.”

“Yes, the pretty flower just like you,” Chanyeol pressed a finger on Byul’s button nose as a wind rushed through the valley.

 

Chanyeol closed his eyes, sitting among the field of flowers as he enjoyed the feel of the wind on his face and the calming sounds of the flowers rustling along with it.

“Dada!” Byul exclaimed, jumping up and down in front of him.

“Yup?” Chanyeol opened his eyes only for Byul to keep repeating the same word and pointing behind him.

“Dada!” Byul continued, still pointing.

Chanyeol looked over his shoulder to see, with one hand planted on the ground, as the wind blew and he saw the figure of two people, wearing black capes with swords at their waists. It was no doubt the Gauean military uniform.

 

Chanyeol was stunned, his mouth was half open and his heart began to race even more when he saw the two figures, one taller and one shorter, unveil the hoods on their capes as they stood in the middle of the purple flower fields in the lush windy valley.

“Dada soo!” Byul called out, “Unka Shun!”

“Yes,” Chanyeol was on the verge of tears as he stood up, “It’s them.”

 

 


	10. Universe

 

Chanyeol didn’t wait to pick up Byul and run into Kyungsoo’s arms once he was sure it was them. There, almost half a year since Kyungsoo and Sehun left on a gloomy overcast morning, they were reunited on a warm sunny day in the field of flowers.

“Welcome home,” Chanyeol heaved, relieved, feeling Kyungsoo in his arms once again after what felt like an eternity.

“I know, I’m home now,” Kyungsoo returned, feeling very much welcome in Chanyeol’s embrace again.

 

Between them in the hug, Byul constantly called out for Kyungsoo and he was happy to oblige, picking Byul up in his own arms, even if they had to break away from the hug for a while.

“Dada soo,” Byul continued to babble in Kyungsoo’s arms.

“You’ve grown so much,” Kyungsoo smiled, letting Byul touch his face and play with his hair, “-and you can talk now too.”

“I’ve been teaching her,” Chanyeol beamed, “We missed you a lot.”

“You didn’t miss me?” Sehun joked, standing beside them as the wind continued to ruffle his cape.

“Of course not. I missed you too,” Chanyeol laughed, pulling Sehun into a hug.

Sehun too laughed in return, patting Chanyeol on the back, “We missed you too, Chanyeol.”

“I’m glad that you two are fine. Couldn’t you tell me that you were coming home at least?” Chanyeol sighed but out of relief.

“We didn’t really know when we were able to go home either. I thought we would miss Byul’s birthday but we got here on time,” Kyungsoo informed, putting Byul on the ground as she wanted to show him some of the flowers.

“Yeah, things have been hectic since we returned to Kunryun. We thought we’d be away longer actually,” Sehun mentioned, as he took off his cape and draped it over an arm.

 

 

When Sehun did so, Chanyeol noticed how Sehun’s Gauean military uniform looked slightly different from before he left almost a half year ago. There were more and distinguished rank insignias on his shoulders and on the cuff of his sleeves.

“How are the two of you?” Chanyeol asked.

Byul was on the ground, plucking a flower and giving it to Kyungsoo, who was busy entertaining their daughter.

“-same old, we’re good. A lot has happened, we’ll tell you later but how have you been too?” Sehun placed a firm hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder.

“Good,” Chanyeol replied, “Byul and I have been well too.”

“Yeah, we’ll talk later. Don’t we have someone’s birthday to celebrate today?” Kyungsoo lifted Byul up, who was still interested in playing with Kyungsoo’s hair.

“Yes we do,” Chanyeol still smiled as the four of them headed back to the house at the end of the flower fields.

 

 

 

When Sehun and Kyungsoo returned to the house, everyone inside who was supposed to be organizing the surprise party for Byul ended up being the ones surprised at the two Gauean’s return. It was a surprise indeed but everyone else was happy and relieved for their return too.

When Kyungsoo took off his cape and put his sword away, Chanyeol also noticed how Kyungsoo’s uniform looked different from when they were last here.

 

They were home now, healthy and well, but Chanyeol couldn’t help but wonder what it was they had done or been up to while they had been gone. And what had actually happened for them to be able to return to Nue’vuur, all happy and unworried about Kunryun.

Chanyeol was so used to the idea of Kyungsoo and Sehun being on the run from Kunryun, so much that he was uncomfortable that they haven’t even brought it up once now that they were back.

 

Chanyeol didn’t let that ruin the moment though. He trusted them and he made sure to be as happy and excited for their happy day. Kyungsoo and Sehun were home. Byul was turning one year old and they were all safe and healthy.

 

 

 

After the birthday party and when everyone else had gone home for the day, Sehun offered to watch over Byul as she played with her new toys while Chanyeol and Kyungsoo took the time to catch up with each other.

It was still early in the night, close to Byul’s bedtime but still far for the adults. Although, Chanyeol was feeling more tired than usual because of the emotional rollercoaster day he had.

Chanyeol had begun the day thinking that Kyungsoo wouldn’t even be home for their daughter’s birthday, only for him to end the day with his laid down on Kyungsoo’s lap on the bed that was no longer empty.

 

Kyungsoo was sitting up with his back against the headboard as he stroked Chanyeol’s hair, running his fingers through the thick locks.

The door to the room was closed and occasionally, they could hear Sehun laughing and playing along with Byul outside in the living room. For now, it was just the both of them alone in tranquility.

“I missed you, Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo expressed, rubbing the pads of his fingers to massage Chanyeol’s scalp.

“I missed you so much too. It hurts so much to not have you here,” Chanyeol responded, holding onto Kyungsoo’s free hand, feeling Kyungsoo caress him. Chanyeol rubbed circles on Kyungsoo’s hand within his own.

“There wasn’t a day that went by where I didn’t think of you or of our daughter. I love you so much,” Kyungsoo bent down forward at his waist to press a kiss on Chanyeol’s head, murmuring against Chanyeol’s ear.

“I know, I love you too. I don’t us to ever be apart again,” Chanyeol muttered, loosening up and all soft and putty in Kyungsoo’s hands, as Kyungsoo breathed warm air against Chanyeol's ear.

“We won’t be separated anymore. From now on, we’ll be together always,” Kyungsoo promised, running his thumb on the back of Chanyeol’s ear and earlobe.

“Won’t Kunryun come to take you back or look for us?” Chanyeol worried.

“Not anymore. We can all go to Kunryun together now. All four of us,” Kyungsoo declared, “Sehun and I made it so that it would be possible.”

“What about your brother and the Chancellor guy?” Chanyeol questioned, gently raking his nails down on Kyungsoo’s palm.

“My brother will leave us alone and I am the Chancellor now. It means I have to return to Kunryun but this time, it will be with all of us,” Kyungsoo revealed.

Chanyeol turned his head slightly to look up at Kyungsoo hovering above him, “You were serious about the whole ‘becoming a Chancellor’ thing? That explains why you and Sehun’s uniforms are different now. What position did Sehun get?”

“He’s my Vice Chancellor now actually. It was the only way I could see fit to make this world a safe place for us and our daughter. I couldn’t think of any other way. At the end of the day, I’m still a Gauean,” Kyungsoo pondered.

“-so you killed the Chancellor and Sehun helped you?” Chanyeol had to ask.

“Are you disappointed in me now?” Kyungsoo averted, asking another question in return.

“No, I’m not,” Chanyeol shook his head a bit, “I’d have probably done the same if I were in your position too. You brought a star back to life just to make me happy. You became the leader of your planet so our daughter could grow up in a safe world. I don’t know how I could ever measure up to you.”

“You don’t have to, Chanyeol. Because if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have known what it’s like to actually have a place I want to return to, where I knew it was safe and where I know I was loved unconditionally.”

“Where is that though?” Chanyeol joked, “We’ve been to so many planets and moons since we first met each other. Whenever we start to settle down, we always end up having to move again. Now we have to move to Kunryun too.”

“It’s right here no matter where in the universe I go to,” Kyungsoo looked into Chanyeol’s eyes as he said that, holding Chanyeol’s face between his hands.

“There is no place better than home isn’t it,” Chanyeol smiled softly, looking back into Kyungsoo’s eyes because he clearly knew what it meant.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

Kyungsoo had left Kunryun on a supposed official business as the Chancellor, to reestablish ties with the Vuurians and resume the indefinitely suspended trade agreements. Although he was attending to personal matters at the moment, Kyungsoo did not forget his responsibility and the duties he had taken on as the leader of Kunryun.

Kyungsoo was never interested to become the leader of Kunryun but he was forced to when Byul was born, especially when he knew that it was something possible for him to do.

Like the responsibility he took on by choosing to have Byul, Kyungsoo too accepted this and came to terms with the fact that his life would change from thereon.

 

Kyungsoo remained on Nue’vuur for a few more weeks to oversee the flower harvesting season. In the meantime, he made trips to Vuur, which was just a few days by starship from Nue’vuur.

On the home planet of Vuur, Kyungsoo once again established the ties with the current ruler, Chanyeol’s mother. The trade agreement was also resumed and revised to further improve the two planets and benefit both Vuurians and Gaueans.

Everything was easier and more diplomatically carried out this time, whatnot with Kyungsoo being the bridge to connect the two races again with each other. Kyungsoo never planned for that. It just happened and he made the best out of it.

 

 

 

After several more weeks between Vuur and Nue’vuur, Kyungsoo and Sehun left Nue’vuur to return to Kunryun but this time with Chanyeol and Byul with them.

An official Kunryun starship picked them up on Nue’vuur while Umi would be towed back to the home planet of the Gaueans.

 

Traveling long distances with a young child soon became a new challenge that Kyungsoo and Chanyeol would experience while they were on their way there.

After the 11 days trip, they arrived on Island Two, a floating island on Kunryun that served as the planet’s starship base because of its higher elevation in the sky.

From Island Two, they took a light passenger ship to fly down to Island One, the only inhabited city, and place where all the Gaueans lived in together.

 

 

 

Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the Gaueans co-existed on the planet’s surface with mighty beasts.  The Gaueans and beasts had a long-standing treaty to live together in harmony.

But when one of the beasts broke the treaty by hurting a Gauean, the Chancellor at that time had lifted the cities into the sky with his powers, to protect all the Gaueans from the mighty beasts. The floating islands in the sky were basically cities and settlements that used to be on the planet’s surface.

 

From then, the Gaueans began honing their strength and trained to fight in order to take on the mighty beasts that were trapped on the planet’s surface.

The weaker Gaueans died and only the strong survived, who would then go on to have strong children of their own too, contributing to a selective population of only strong fighters.

The mighty beasts went extinct in a few thousand years, but the Gaueans were left with a violent, confrontative nature that was made even worse by the stratocracy form of government where strength was favored, and duels to death were designated as the official way to become a leader.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

When Chanyeol first stepped on Kunryun, he was hit by surprise by a sudden gust of wind in his face. Because the island cities the Gaueans lived on were floating in the sky, the wind was stronger and blew constantly although hardly anyone was bothered by it, except for Chanyeol. He just wasn't used to it yet.

Kyungsoo had said that it was currently summer, so it wouldn’t be too cold for Chanyeol, although Chanyeol soon learned how cloudy and cool it was for him even during a Kunryun summer. It was still tolerable though.

 

 

Island One only had a population of about 55,000, compromising the entire population of Kunryun, and it was as small as Chanyeol had expected it to be.

Everyone Chanyeol met there had dark hair, dark eyes and wore black clothes or a variation of it. No one seemed to bother him or even paid him a glance and merely minded about their own business. Gaueans didn’t seem to like eye-contact with others, Chanyeol observed.

 

Unlike on Vuur, the buildings were white and had thatched tiled roofs. None of the buildings were taller than maybe four or five floors high, where most of the buildings only had one or two floors to them. There was no need to build tall buildings when there was so much space and land around to build wider instead.

Everyone lived in large one-floor houses within their own large walled-up yards with large gardens inside. Even the smallest house Chanyeol saw would be considered quite large on Vuur.

Everyone looked rich and Kyungsoo was right that no one was homeless, jobless or went hungry on Kunryun.

Chanyeol also noticed how he basically saw no children or anyone who wasn’t an adult while on Kunryun. Byul was surely the only child on the entire planet at the time.

 

 

 

For the first time, Chanyeol saw himself how Kunryun looked like, how this home to the Gaueans was slowly being unraveled of its mystery in front of his eyes. Chanyeol was honored to be one of the few non-Gaueans to be allowed onto the planet in decades.

Chanyeol was brought to a large house within an equally large yard and garden, where Kyungsoo lived with Sehun.

Byul was excited at almost everything but she quickly fell asleep once they arrived on Kunryun, having exhausted herself at all the new things she was seeing.

 

When Kyungsoo stepped into the entryway of their house, the doors slid open and a servant bowed to Kyungsoo, who later spoke something in the Gauean language to him.

“He’ll show you to our room,” Kyungsoo informed, “Can you put Byul to bed? I need to follow Sehun and do something first. Some people will come around to send our luggage here soon.”

“Alright,” Chanyeol accepted, still a bit confused and trying to assimilate himself to the place he wasn’t familiar with.

“We’ll be back,” Sehun mentioned, as he made his way out of the house with Kyungsoo.

 

 

 

As Chanyeol was being showed the way to the room, he noticed how the interior of the house and its floor were all made of wood, especially with the way his feet creaked on the floorboards. The house was dark even during the day, with minimal windows being opened and only some lanterns being lit to light up the way.

Chanyeol couldn’t see much because areas and rooms in the house were all partitioned and closed off by large sliding doors.

 

 

The servant kept speaking to Chanyeol in the Gauean language, while he only caught maybe a phrase and a few words at most. Chanyeol only nodded and managed to jumble up a “Thanks” in the Gauean language when they arrived at the room he and Kyungsoo would be living in from now on.

The door was slid open by the servant, who then lit a few lanterns and then slid the door shut back again, leaving Chanyeol in the room that had mats covering the floor on top of the floorboards.

 

“Okay,” Chanyeol muttered to himself, looking around the room to see a low bed with white sheets in the corner. There was a wooden crib beside the bed and Chanyeol gently lowered a sleeping Byul into it.

Chanyeol reached into his pockets for Byul’s toy which he had put there when she dropped it and placed the toy beside her in the crib. As a toddler, Byul’s attention often from jumped one thing to another so it wasn’t a surprise for Chanyeol to have her toy somewhere in his vest or pocket.

Chanyeol looked around the room and then pulled out what he assumed to be a blanket from the shelves, draping it over Byul to cover her while she slept.

 

 

With nothing to do and still waiting for their luggage to arrive, Chanyeol sat cross-legged in quiet at the end of the low bed which was only maybe less than half a meter off the floor, watching Byul as she slept. Chanyeol did feel a bit awkward in a foreign place without Sehun and Kyungsoo around.

On the walls opposite from the entrance to the room, Chanyeol found another set of sliding doors which he opened to reveal the courtyard outside. Chanyeol closed the doors again, not wanting the light from outside to wake Byul up.

 

Chanyeol looked around to see plain pale-colored walls under the illumination of the flickering lantern light. There was no other furniture in the room but a table and chair against the wall, and the row of shelves hidden behind another sliding door.

In a lower shelf, Chanyeol found a sword stand with Kyungsoo’s sheathed sword still on it.

 

 

Seeing that, Chanyeol began to wonder again, how Kyungsoo had lived like here before they met each other. Chanyeol had just arrived so he hadn’t gotten used to Kunryun yet, but from the looks of it, Kyungsoo was living very differently than what Chanyeol got to see.

While Chanyeol had heard so much tales and stereotypes about Gaueans and knew some of them to be true, it was still hard for him to associate that with the people he was actually seeing now.

While Sehun and Kyungsoo never denied who they were and never denied the Gauean nature within them, Chanyeol was the one saw them differently, when they never saw themselves that way. Because Chanyeol had seen and experienced for himself, how selfless, loving and compassionate they really were.  

Even though they had a child together now, it was as if Chanyeol was discovering Kyungsoo entirely again as a person, like an enigma which Kyungsoo was.

 

 

 

Chanyeol was tired too from the long journey and decided to lie down on the bed, but ended up falling asleep instead from how soft and warm the bed was.

When he woke up some hours later, Chanyeol found the room lit brightly and the sliding doors leading to the courtyard- open. It was already dark and nighttime outside but the lights in the courtyard also helped to brighten up the place.

 

Chanyeol rose from the bed and stepped out onto the platform outside the room, which elevated the house from the courtyard.

There, Chanyeol saw Kyungsoo holding up their daughter in the courtyard. Kyungsoo was talking to Byul, pointing to the stars in the sky above them. Kyungsoo was still dressed in his uniform.

“Look who is awake now,” Kyungsoo then pointed to Chanyeol, seeing him now awake.

“Dada!” Byul giggled, holding her hands out and trying to climb over Kyungsoo’s shoulder to get Chanyeol to carry her.

“Dada’s here,” Chanyeol announced, stepping into the courtyard, taking Byul from Kyungsoo and carrying her.

“Good morning,” Kyungsoo said, sarcastically. 

“How long was I asleep?” Chanyeol questioned, shifting Byul’s weight so he could carry her at his side with one arm.

“-throughout the entire day, actually. I just got home a few hours ago and you were still asleep. It’s almost midnight now,” Kyungsoo answered, fixing Byul’s collar while Chanyeol carried her.

“What! I’ve been asleep that long?” Chanyeol was surprised, then turned to look at Byul, “It’s too late, she needs to go to bed now.”

“You go have dinner first with Sehun. I’ll put her to bed. She ate already, I fed her, but I’m not sure if she can go back to sleep since she just woke up not long ago too,” Kyungsoo informed, taking Byul from Chanyeol.

“What about you? Did you eat yet?” Chanyeol asked as he handed Byul over to Kyungsoo.

“Don’t worry about me, I ate already. Sehun helped watched Byul so I could eat so he’s only eating just now. Just go outside the room and turn left till you make it to the dining hall,” Kyungsoo pointed out the way to Chanyeol.

As Chanyeol was about to leave, he saw that their luggage had arrived but was not unpacked yet in their room. He then remembered something and turned around again, “-but I need to give Byul a bath.”

“I did that already; she has new diapers too and is ready for bed. Just go,” Kyungsoo insisted as Byul rested her head on his shoulder.

“-Alright,” Chanyeol complied, leaving the room and looking for the dining hall where he saw Sehun waiting for him at the table already.

 

 

 

The servants had cooked food that was more suited to Chanyeol’s taste, so he wouldn’t have a hard time eating the food he wasn’t used to yet. For Chanyeol, they too laid out a spoon for him to use because Gaueans used chopsticks and Chanyeol didn’t know how.

At dinner, Sehun asked Chanyeol how he liked Kunryun so far, and all Chanyeol could say was that he had yet to see everything to make a judgment yet.

 

After dinner, Chanyeol tried to clear up the table and the dishes but Sehun stopped him, telling him to just put it in the sink and letting the servants clear things up.

Although Chanyeol was a prince with attendants to do things for him back on Vuur, he had gotten used to doing things for himself after moving away and was not used to this kind of lifestyle yet again.

 

“So I guess being the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor has its perks, doesn’t it?” Chanyeol assumed, wiping his hands with a soft warm towel near the sink.

Sehun was drinking from a ceramic glass, standing near Chanyeol, “Well if you want to compare it to when we were mercenaries, it is. We don’t have to prepare our own rations, collect our own water and maintain our own residence anymore.”

“I can see why you gave up your room in Anam to him because you said he was used to living differently here,” Chanyeol realized, “Even your servants here have big houses of their own. You’re all rich, that’s why. You were afraid Kyungsoo wouldn’t get used to a different kind of life.”

“That’s true,” Sehun agreed, “-but I think he did well by himself to adjust when he joined our team.” Sehun then glanced over at Chanyeol, “I just never expected you to get Kyungsoo pregnant.”

“Well…” Chanyeol was at a loss of words to say.

“-but we got another addition to our team,” Sehun then broke out into a smile, patting Chanyeol on the shoulder, “-and it made Kyungsoo and I actually want to return here and deal with the things we’ve put off for so long, so I guess I have to thank you for it too.”

“I guess so,” Chanyeol accepted.

“Well then, I’m tired and I still have to help Kyungsoo run a planet tomorrow. I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night,” Sehun stretched his arms above his head, bade goodbye and then left the kitchen.

“Yeah, see you,” Chanyeol replied, standing in the kitchen alone.

 

 

After a while, Chanyeol too made his way back to the room he and Kyungsoo shared, only to end up lost in his new home because of its size and how all the sliding doors seemed to look the same.

Chanyeol swore he was in a maze or something as he went to slide door after door open, hoping to find the one that would end him in the right place. Except, Chanyeol ended up in a bunch of empty dark rooms that were certainly not the right one.

There was also no one else in sight, not even a servant, for him to ask around.

 

 

Chanyeol continued to walk down a dim corridor, floorboards creaking when he stepped on it, admittedly a bit spooked to be all alone in such a big, quiet and poorly lit place which he didn't know too well.

Chanyeol already felt relieved to see candle lights flickering through a gap in the sliding doors that weren’t fully shut.

Following the source of the light, Chanyeol entered the room by sliding the doors wider open, only to find Kyungsoo staring back at him.

 

“Chanyeol? You’re still awake?” Kyungsoo softly spoke, meeting him at the door.

Chanyeol sighed in relief, pressing a hand to his chest, “I found you, finally. I got lost there from the kitchen and on the way here actually.”

“Well, you found me but not our bedroom, unfortunately,” Kyungsoo revealed.

“Oh, what room is this?” Chanyeol looked over Kyungsoo’s shoulder to see and he had his answer soon enough.

“It’s an altar room,” Kyungsoo ended up answering Chanyeol anyway, “-there’s every family member of mine within the past few generations that have died.”

 

 

The room they were in was at least twice larger than their bedrooms. The room itself had no lightings but was illuminated by the rows of candles from the end of the room.

There at the end of the room on rows of shelves, beside each candle was a framed picture of someone and the standard Gauean sword or dagger placed in front of it. There were at least tens of these picture frames and Chanyeol noticed how some of the swords and weapons were broken in half or at some parts.

 

Kyungsoo invited Chanyeol into the altar room, leaving the door half-open.

“I just came here to light a candle. We do it to pay respects.” Kyungsoo told as he did so by lighting a matchstick with the flame from another candle, to light a candle beside the picture of a woman.

“Who is she?” Chanyeol too looked upon the picture of the woman with her broken sword in front of it, noticing that there was some empty space to fit more frames beside her.

“My mother,” Kyungsoo replied, lowering his head down as he gazed into the dancing flames of the candle.

“She was the one who wanted you killed for not wanting to marry your cousin, wasn’t it?” Chanyeol continued to ask.

“Yes, that’s her. I killed her just a month after I came back to Kunryun. I challenged her for the position as head of the family. I won and she lost. My parents aren’t together anymore so my father doesn’t care,” Kyungsoo glanced at Chanyeol standing behind him.

“-then you finished off the Chancellor? What about your brother, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol inquired, feeling that he needed to know the things.

“When my mother died, I became the head of the family on her side. Then I used that position of mine to challenge the Chancellor along with Sehun. We worked together and we didn’t want to kill each other after that too so we pulled it off,” Kyungsoo informed, “-oh and Baekhyun? He’s alive, just minding his own business especially with his fourth child coming soon. He won’t bother us now that I’m Chancellor.”

“I see, that’s good then,” Chanyeol uttered in response.

“-that’s why I took a while to return. You can’t do things like this overnight,” Kyungsoo turned around to face Chanyeol, facing his back towards the altar.

“Did everyone in your family die in a similar way to that too?” Chanyeol was curious to know.

“Some yes, some no and lived out till they were old,” Kyungsoo answered, “No matter how they died, we still respect them.”

“That did sound dangerous. I’m very glad you’re alive and here with me right now. I don’t know what I’d do if you never came home,” Chanyeol conveyed his feelings, reaching out a hand to hold Kyungsoo’s.

“I was always planning to come home no matter how hard it got. I made a promise and I kept it. I love you so much I killed a star for you,” Kyungsoo’s lips upturned to form a small smile, a bit melancholically.

“I know and I'm very grateful that. I love you too,” Chanyeol smiled too.

“Well, it’s late now. I still have a lot to do tomorrow,” Kyungsoo then suggested, “Let’s go to sleep. I’m done here.”

“-got a planet to run, eh?” Chanyeol repeated what Sehun had told him.

“Well, it’s just one city and not so many people. It’s not that hard,” Kyungsoo let out a soft chuckle on their way out.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

Over the next few weeks, Chanyeol slowly adjusted himself to life on Kunryun. The years of frequent travels and never being in one place for a long time as a mercenary certainly did help him to assimilate fast on Kunryun.

Chanyeol tried to conjure fire and learned that although it wasn’t as strong as when he was on Vuur, it was still considerably strong and could be useful on Kunryun if needed. He was even learning how to use the winds on Island One to his advantage, to make a stronger fire with the gust.

 

While Chanyeol spent most of his initial days on Kunryun as a stay-at-home father, the household servant would give him and Byul daily lessons on how to speak the Gauean language and how to read and write the script.

When the father and daughter were done with their lessons, Chanyeol would teach Byul the Vuurian language and script himself. Because Chanyeol, Sehun, and Kyungsoo spoke to each other in the Anam lingua franca, they were sure Byul would pick up on that too.

Chanyeol followed the household servant to run errands around the island so he could learn to do it himself too, and meet the other Gaueans too who didn’t seem to mind that he was one of the few foreigners that were allowed to live on Kunryun. It was most likely because he was married to the Chancellor of Kunryun.

 

 

On Sehun and Kyungsoo’s off days, they would bring Chanyeol and Byul around the island, showing them the shops and places to go to.

Chanyeol learned to cook Gauean food and made lunch boxes for Sehun and Kyungsoo to bring to work. He would see them off every morning and in the evening, welcome them home with Byul by his side.

Chanyeol too eventually met Kyungsoo’s five other siblings other than Baekhyun and even Kyungsoo’s father too. Everyone else Chanyeol met on Kunryun also seemed to be related to Kyungsoo to a certain degree, proving the fact that the remaining Gaueans alive today were all mostly related to each other. Although they tolerated Chanyeol being married to Kyungsoo and accepted Byul’s existence, they remained distant and much more like acquaintances than family. This too was normal.

 

 

Sehun was still famous as a hired mercenary and even when he had to attend to his duties now as the Vice Chancellor of Kunryun, he was still getting mission offers from various people and planets.

Because Sehun and Kyungsoo weren’t able to go, Chanyeol continued to take on the missions by himself.

If the mission needed more than one person to be carried out, somehow Sehun would sneak away for a few days with Chanyeol. Kyungsoo would be annoyed but he tolerated it.

If the mission was short, easy and didn’t pose any threat or dangers, Chanyeol could even bring Byul along with him.

 

 

 

A few months after Chanyeol began living on Kunryun; summer on the planet was coming to an end and would soon be followed by autumn. On Kunryun, autumn was the windiest time of the year and when the famed ‘great winds’ blew.

The ‘great winds’ were recognized as culturally important and significant to the Gaueans, up to an extent where it was a common theme that appeared in Gaueans poems, literature and folk tales.

In the mid-autumn, the Gaueans even had a tradition where they would go to the hilltop near the edge of Island One, just so they could stand in the blowing wind in the evening, before going home to have a festive dinner.

 

 

Sehun and Kyungsoo always talked about it and sought after the ‘great winds’ when they were away from home, and now Chanyeol was going to experience it too and find out why they liked it so much.

In the late afternoon on a day towards the end of the mid-autumn week, Chanyeol together with Sehun, Kyungsoo and Byul climbed up the hill near the edge of Island One. Byul, of course, had to be carried by either one of her fathers or her grand-uncle who took turns at it.

 

There were stone steps leading up to the hilltop. Along the stairs and leading up the hill, there were black rock statues of the figures of the once mighty beasts that used to roam the surface of Kunryun.

Chanyeol noticed this and pointed it out while they were climbing up the hill, “This looks like Vuurian black rock from our mountains.”

“It is Vuurian black rock indeed,” Kyungsoo confirmed, “It is one of the things we import from Vuur, then we have our own stonemasons to carve it out.”

“Oh, that is interesting,” Chanyeol was rather pleasantly surprised to find a part of his planet there too, “-but aren’t these carvings the mighty beasts from the early days of Kunryun? Didn’t your people fight against them?”

“We respect the dead, Chanyeol, even if we were the ones who killed them. We can’t put the beasts on an altar so this is one of the ways to memorialize them,” Sehun chimed in, a few steps ahead of them and carrying Byul up the stairs, having overheard the conversation.

“You see why I still bother to put up my mother’s picture on the altar and light a candle for her every morning,” Kyungsoo stated.

“Ah, I get it,” Chanyeol nodded, accepting and understanding their cultural differences.

 

 

The hilltop featured a park with shady trees, gazebos, and benches to sit on. From the top of the hill, they could see the buildings below at one side and the blue cloudy sky from another side.

It was mostly quiet there and the four of them managed to find a bench under a shady tree for them to sit on, as a light gentle breeze persistently blew.

Hanging from the low branches of the tree was a wooden wind chime that let out a pleasant clinking sound as the breeze continued to blow on it.

 

Sehun was sitting on the bench with Chanyeol and Byul in between them. Kyungsoo was standing beside the bench, looking out at the clouds moving with the wind.

They were quiet, enjoying the peace and placidity of the moment, and feeling the gentle wind on their skin.

“I never thought we’d all be here today, to be honest,” Sehun acknowledged, “I thought I’d be alone traveling around in space, alone, until I grew old and die, never to return home again. Then I met Chanyeol and Kyungsoo came along, and you two had Byul and we’re here today all alive and not killing each other.”

Chanyeol laughed a little, reminiscing, “I have done more in the past six years or so since I joined you than I ever did with my entire life before that. I guess running away from Vuur was one of the best things I’ve done. Somehow it led to my planet being saved.”

“I never left Kunryun too until I had to run away. I didn’t think I’d ever come home either but here I am being the Chancellor of this planet,” Kyungsoo added.

“That’s the irony. We all ran away from something only to end up fixing whatever it is that made us leave, and then eventually ended up back in our homes too,” Sehun smiled to himself.

Between both of them, Byul didn’t quite understand their conversation and merely looked to Sehun, Kyungsoo and then back to Chanyeol.

 

“I don’t regret that actually now,” Chanyeol declared, “If I could, I would go over and do it all again.”

“Yeah, me too,” Sehun agreed, as he and Chanyeol looked over at Kyungsoo standing beside them.

“Well…” Kyungsoo paused, and then resumed, “I would too. I couldn’t imagine not having Byul but I would have preferred if the pregnancy didn’t come as a surprise. That was a really tough time for me and I would have liked to be prepared.”

Sehun tried to stop himself from laughing, “It’s ironic that you left the planet to avoid having a baby and getting married, but you ended up getting married and having a baby anyway.”

“-by my own terms and conditions though. I wouldn’t have that if I never left this planet,” Kyungsoo was proud to say as he joined them on the bench, sitting beside Chanyeol.

 

 

Once Kyungsoo was seated, Chanyeol stretched his long arms wide to wrap around Sehun, Kyungsoo, and even Byul.

“You know what? I am proud of all of you,” Chanyeol beamed, grinning from ear to ear, “I admit that I used to think Gaueans were evil and couldn’t be trusted but I was wrong. I know you two kill people a lot but hey I have done that too because that’s our job, isn’t it? And I know you would never hurt us and I am certainly not disappointed in you two at all.”

“Well thank you for tolerating us too,” Sehun teased, putting his arm around as far as he could reach to his side too.

Kyungsoo joined in too, “I really had fun and it made me happy to be part of this team too.”

 

As they looked out towards the clouds and the blue sky, the great winds of autumn blew, strong but not harsh. The wind felt inviting instead, feeling like it was breathing life into its surroundings as the leaves on the tree rustled, and the wind chimes melodiously chiming even more. The wind howled distinctively, in harmony with everything.  

“Yeah, our home is wherever we all are. So we’re home now,” Chanyeol was delighted.

“Homu!” Byul exclaimed, repeating after Chanyeol, smiling and excited even when she had yet to learn the true meaning of it yet.

 

 

 

After the hilltop visit that afternoon, they returned home to have their mid-autumn festive dinner with the house servant invited along to eat with them. The dishes served were both Gauean and Vuurian.

They had their dinner in a room overlooking the courtyard and left the sliding doors open so they could feel some of the wind and see the sky even from inside.

The courtyard was lit with stone lanterns, made from rocks found on Vuur and fired up with Chanyeol’s own powers.

 

While they were talking over dinner, Byul began to throw a tantrum, demanding and pointing outside, wanting to go to the courtyard.

Kyungsoo was done eating so he offered to take her out for a walk in the courtyard to calm her down, while the others continued to eat.

 

 

Byul didn’t want to be carried so Kyungsoo put her on the grass, where she jumped up and down pointing to the sky while clinging onto Kyungsoo’s legs.

“Moon!” Byul shrieked, excited.

“Yes, that’s a moon,” Kyungsoo affirmed.

“Moon!” Byul continued to yell.

“Yes, yes, very nice moon,” Kyungsoo repeated, hoping it’ll satisfy her.

Hearing the commotion and having just finished dinner, Chanyeol too joined Kyungsoo and Byul outside on the courtyard while Sehun and the household servant were seen still eating inside.

“Do you like the moon? Which one do you like? The left or right one?” Chanyeol crouched to the ground to come to eye level with Byul.

Byul continued pointing up to the two moons that orbited around Kunryun.

“Oh no,” Kyungsoo gasped, looking up at the sky where Byul was pointing.

“What?” Chanyeol too lifted his head up to look as he saw one moon began to move abnormally in a lateral path.

 

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo froze as they looked down to see their daughter moving her finger as the moon too moved along with it.

Eyes round and wide with horror, they looked to each other before Chanyeol quickly picked up their daughter and turned her away from looking and pointing at the moon.

“Put it back! Put it back! Kyungsoo, move the moon back to where it was!” Chanyeol almost jumped, staring up at the sky.

Kyungsoo then saw their daughter, passed out in Chanyeol’s arms from exhaustion at the usage of her powers.

Kyungsoo then felt oddly calm as he laughed to himself, “Looks like we have our answers now. She looks like you but takes after my powers.”

 

Kyungsoo did end up having a headache for hours after that when he had to put the moon back in place. Kyungsoo started to think that he probably needed to learn to use his powers without feeling weak after that like Baekhyun was capable of.

 

 

~~★★★★★~~

 

 

 

Chanyeol never got used to the cold, long winters of Kunryun so for a few months a year, he returned to Vuur with Byul to be with his own family. When winter ended, he’d be back in Kunryun on the very first day of spring and was never late.

 

 

After a bit over two years, Baekhyun challenged Sehun for the position of Vice-Chancellor. Sehun conceded even before the duel and resigned from his position to return as a full-time mercenary alongside Chanyeol with Kunryun as their new base.

Kunryun was then ruled over by the two brothers, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun.

 

 

After sixteen years since their move to Kunryun, Baekhyun then challenged Kyungsoo for the position of Chancellor.

Like Sehun, Kyungsoo refused to fight and resigned to once again become a full-time mercenary, with their bases now in different places such as Kunryun, Anam, Vuur and Nue’vuur. Where they were depended on the missions they take.

 

Byul had turned eighteen-years-old by then and was old enough to join her parents and grand-uncle. She too left Kunryun when Kyungsoo did. Byul was made the official fourth member of their team and given her own uniform to match them.

Byul had grown up to look a lot like Chanyeol. She was even taller than Kyungsoo, although not as tall as Sehun and Chanyeol were. Her powers and fighting style very much Gauean though and she too wielded a sword as Kyungsoo did.

 

 

 

Now, the four of them were on a mission back on the sea-planet of Bokun, where they were tasked to retrieve artifacts found by the researchers who never learned to stop coming to the planet, despite being chased off many times.

As Chanyeol was waiting outside the now modified and remodeled Umi, he saw Byul, Kyungsoo, and Sehun running towards him, shouting at Chanyeol to get back into the starship.

Chanyeol saw that they were once again chased by the native sea-dwelling people of Bokun, who had once come out again from the sea to chase them off.

 

Chanyeol still waited outside in order to make sure they all came on the starship safely.

“What are you doing? Get in!?” Sehun yelled, basically rolling through the entrance of the starship.

“Get in!” Kyungsoo then yelled, dashing madly past him and throwing himself into the entrance.

“Dad!” Byul already yelled from afar, then tossing him a small golden box which he caught.

“What’s this?” Chanyeol frantically asked, holding the intricate box in his hands, as Byul pushed him into Umi.

“We stole that from the chief of Bokun. He’s pretty pissed at us now, we need to leave,” Byul warned, slamming the door to Umi shut, before strapping herself in the designated seat so they could take off.

Chanyeol laughed, remembering something similar in the past as he made his way to his own seat, “You’re not going to go pulling moons now are you?”

“Don’t you dare give her any ideas!” Kyungsoo warned from his own seat.

“Please argue, later on, I’m trying to concentrate here,” Sehun hissed, firing up all the engines.

 

Chanyeol smiled as he looked towards Byul, Kyungsoo, and Sehun. They were all doing their best indeed but the universe sure did have its own way of making sure things fall into place.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were a few scenes I cut out in the fic, and in one of them, Chansoo had a conversation where the topics of their ages were brought up. Since that never happened, I'll explain it here. 
> 
> Gaueans have a 1000-ish years lifespan but for Vuurians it's a bit lower around 930-ish years. The aging progress up to the 20s is almost similar to humans, but from then on they stay adults for hundreds of years and hit middle-aged around 500-600 years old.
> 
> Chanyeol is actually the youngest among the three. He was in his mid to late 20s at the beginning of the fic. He is at least 30 when Byul is born so he was a very young father for their universe standards. Kyungsoo was at least 60 when he met Chanyeol. Sehun is at least 40 years older than Kyungsoo.  
> Kyungsoo and his siblings have very large age-gaps in the tens of years because people in this universe have hundreds of childbearing years. Baekhyun is almost a century older than Kyungsoo. 
> 
> With that being said, Chansoo went on to have daughter number two when Byul is in her twenties. I'd like to think that their second daughter looked more like Kyungsoo but had Chanyeol's powers instead :) 
> 
> \--
> 
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